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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26178196">All My Shadows Gave Way to Light</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_not_the_queen/pseuds/im_not_the_queen'>im_not_the_queen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aang (Avatar) is a Good Boyfriend, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Because She Makes me a Lil Mental, But I Hope You Love This Story as Much as I Do, But Mostly this is Fluffy, Gratuitous Use of "-", Help The Author, Honestly They go Through Some Shit, How Zuko got his Dragon, I love these kids, Implied Sokka/Toph, Kyoshi Warrior Mai, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild smut?, Minor Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Mostly Canon Compliant, Pansexual Toph Bei Fong, Past Aang/Katara (Avatar), Past Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Some Slight Katara Disparagment, The Author Hates Non-Serif Fonts and Formatting on Here, everyone is pan, i love her though</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:29:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>35,300</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26178196</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_not_the_queen/pseuds/im_not_the_queen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko and Aang finally make right the wrongs that have been done by Firelords and Avatars past in a slightly more intimate way than their predecessors may have had in mind. No spiritual intervention means it’s fine, right? A pretty fucking gay reimagining of Aang, Zuko and the Gaang building a world for themselves post Sozins Comet.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>175</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>How I would have written the last episode of Avatar the Last Airbender and the following events featuring: general Katara disparagement (because I feel like her fatal flaw wasn’t vengeance but holding a grudge, and even though they sort of cleared that up with Zuko she still made me a little mental), blatant ignorance of the comics (which I refused to read out of sheer spite), gratuitous use of ‘-’ and commas, and a whole lot of fluff. This is mostly canon compliant with Korra, just some of the Gaang kids have different parents.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The late afternoon sunlight was warm and welcome in the cool darkness of Zuko’s new chambers. He wondered if they would allow him to keep his old room after all- or maybe the guest rooms in the southern wing, where the light was present all day and there were many more windows. He laughed a little, then, at his own pondering. He was about to be crowned Firelord. He could probably tell them he was moving into the stables and they would allow it. He was tempted by that idea, momentarily; the royal palace still felt a bit more like a prison than a home. Perhaps it was the company he’d kept here- the echoes of his father and sister in the halls. </p><p>He thought of Suki, headed back to Kyoshi Island for a spell with Mai and Ty Lee, and then the Southern Water Tribe to meet Sokka. He would miss the couple’s playful banter. He thought of Toph, who was planning on “earth-surfing” her way to Iroh in Ba Sing Se with the other rebels, rebuilding towns and foraging alliances for Zuko across the Earth Kingdom. He wished he could go with her- working in a tea shop and dodging ‘affectionate’ punches from the self proclaimed greatest earthbender seemed both simpler and more enjoyable than running a nation. He thought of Katara and Aang, traveling back to the Southern Water Tribe with Sokka and Hakoda to rebuild, maybe stopping at some of the air temples on the way. He’d miss her stubborn care, and Sokka’s terrible jokes. He’d miss Aang- the light peacefulness of his presence, the times he talked with his hands, the way he kept them all together with silly quips and easy conversation. He would miss the camaraderie of the only true family he’d ever known. He picked up his red silk robes, struggling to pull one arm through the sleeve. Mai had helped him with his robes yesterday, and she had told him she loved him, but it was different- she told him that she was beginning to realize that she loved Ty Lee more. That Ty Lee felt like home, and Zuko felt like… Well. She hadn’t said it, but he knew what she meant. They were a destiny he was no longer meant to enjoy. A destiny for <em> Prince </em> Zuko, not for Sifu Hotman, not for Sparky, or whoever he’d become while traveling with the avatar. Mai was not for Firelord Zuko. </p><p>Today, Mai and Ty Lee were off preparing for the coronation ceremony with the other Kyoshi warriors, and Zuko was alone in his chamber, wrestling with his clothing alone. The clean, high-quality fabric felt forign against his skin, and he yelped in pain as the wound on his chest stretched and pulled under his bandages. </p><p>“Spirits, fuck!”</p><p>“That doesn’t sound like the kind of language the Firelord should be using,” said a teasing voice from behind him, and Zuko whirled around to see Aang leaning in the doorway, smirking. </p><p>“I’m not the Firelord yet,” Zuko grumbled, and Aang smiled, closing the door behind him and taking hold of Zuko’s sleeve.  </p><p>“Here,” said the younger boy, holding out Zuko’s sleeve and helping him pull his arm through. He deftly knotted the silk belt around Zuko’s waist and stepped back, as if admiring his handiwork. The avatar looked older, suddenly, standing in front of Zuko in his flowing yellow monks robes, face set and solemn. Zuko studied him for a moment before asking,</p><p>“How are you?”</p><p>“I’m fine- I’m great, actually. How are you feeling? Coronation tonight… that’s a big deal. I hope it all goes well- I really think you’re going to be a great Firelord, Zuko, but I know it’s a lot of pressure and-” </p><p>“Aang- I mean- Avatar-”</p><p>“Zuko, come on.” </p><p>Zuko laughed, and put a hand on Aang’s shoulder, guiding him to the window, “<em> Aang </em> . I’m terrified. I have an entire nation to rebuild and I absolutely <em> can’t </em> mess it up. But I’ll be fine. <em> You </em>, however, babble when you’re nervous, so...”</p><p>Aang sighed, and leaned slightly into Zuko’s touch, “I’m scared, too. And… Well, I haven’t been sleeping super well since the comet, so I’m <em> tired </em>. And I don’t know- I guess I just never thought about what would happen after? We’re all splitting up, and I know we have to, but I hate it.” </p><p>“Me too,” Zuko sighed, “But you and Katara must be excited to return to the Southern Water Tribe. It’ll be a fun journey- especially since this time you’re not in a massive rush to get where you’re going.” </p><p> “What?” Aang turned away from the window to raise an eyebrow at Zuko. </p><p>“The trip to the South Pole?” Zuko repeated slowly, frowning at Aang. </p><p>“The trip- Oh! I’m not- Katara and I aren’t- I’m not going.”</p><p>“Oh,” Zuko mumbled, then looked back at the window. </p><p>“You’re allowed to ask why,” Aang laughed. </p><p>“Ok, why?” Zuko chuckled, elbowing the smaller boy in the ribs as a rebuttal for Aang’s teasing tone. </p><p>“Because I changed my mind about her. Because she’s not my future, and I need some time away from her to figure out what is.”</p><p>Zuko startled, turning to stare at the boy standing beside him, whose tone and posture had so suddenly become those of a man. “When did you get so wise?” </p><p>“I’m one-hundred and thirteen years old, Zuko!” </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Zuko kept his eyes on Aang as he walked towards the curtained entryway. It felt impossibly comfortable to be walking towards his own coronation with the knowledge that Aang would be at his side. The monk was seated cross-legged beside the doorway, head bowed. Zuko was once again struck by how much he had changed in the past year.</p><p>“I can’t believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down, and now-” </p><p>“And now we’re friends.” Aang finished, gaze softening as he looked up at Zuko. </p><p>“Yeah…” Zuko smiled, thinking back to that day in the woods, when Aang had asked him what seemed like an impossible question after saving him from Zhao. <em> Do you think we could be friends? </em> “We are friends!” Zuko said firmly, as Aang rose to his feet. He couldn’t help but notice the heaviness in the young man’s posture as he stood, how there was a weighted tiredness about the Avatar. </p><p>“I can’t believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice! The world is so different now.” Aang’s expression was serious, almost worried. Zuko took a step towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder, exhaling and pressing down slightly, watching the tension leave Aang’s mouth and brow. </p><p>“And it’s going to be even more different,” he said, looking down at the Avatar, “we’ll rebuild it together.” </p><p>Aang smiled, and threw his arms around Zuko’s shoulders. Zuko wrapped his arms firmly around the airbenders waist, almost lifting him off of his feet as he held the smaller boy tightly to him. After a few moments, Aang stepped back, and Zuko resisted the urge to take his hand. Aang gave him an encouraging smile, and gestured him through the curtain so they could face Zuko’s people- their people- the world- together. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>    Zuko hated his throne. Hated it so much that after sitting in it for only five minutes, he blasted fire around the room, scorching the pillars and burning the dark curtains away from the windows and walls. “Strip this room!” He roared as he stormed out, stalking down the hallway with smoke billowing behind him. “I want every trace of black <em> out </em> ! And get rid of that <em> infernal </em> , ridiculous, pedestaled… <em> throne </em>! A diais with a normal fu- a normal cushion will do!”</p><p>“Your highness, yes, of course.” Stammered the guards around the door. </p><p>“Send my next meeting to me in the council room.”</p><p>“The war room, your majesty?”</p><p>“Yes. <em> The council room </em>.” Zuko glared, and the guard nodded. Zuko felt marginally calmer once he’d sat down in the council room, but still a little unbalanced. He straightened his new crown, and sighed. There was a tap at the door, and he squared his shoulders, ready to face the next meeting. He’d been crowned less than twelve hours ago, and already the work was beginning to weigh on him. </p><p>“Enter, and please take a seat.” He called, his own authoritative voice startling him. </p><p>“Spirits, Zuko, you sound so important!” Aang chuckled, letting himself in and bowing before sitting across the table from Zuko. </p><p>“Thank Spirits it’s you. I’m exhausted.” </p><p> “Don’t get too excited, I think Hakoda is scheduled after me and he’s going to have some… interesting things to say,” Aang said carefully. “Anyways, I’ve come with a project proposal for you.” </p><p>Zuko waved his hand, and Aang watched the gesture with a strange sort of intense curiosity, “Please.” </p><p>“I want you to help me restore balance by removing Fire Nation colonies from the Earth Kingdom, and starting a program to rehabilitate them here in the Fire Nation, as well as offering healing and rehabilitation efforts in the colonized states.” </p><p>“Of course, I was thinking about initiating something similar,” Zuko nodded, “How exactly do you want to go about doing this?”</p><p>“I think we should work from the outside in. Start with the communities furthest from the capitol, take advantage of the old refugee ferry from Ba Sing Se and get troops out of the city first, unless they are helping with the restoration of the wall,” Aang explained, looking at the map on the table. “May I?”</p><p>“Of course,” Zuko replied, leaning forward to watch as Aang explained the strategies he wanted to have in place for moving the colonials out of the Earth Kingdom, and the support systems he wanted in place in the Earth Kingdoms. </p><p>“I’ll send a hawk to the Earth King to ask for his support this evening,” Zuko assured Aang when they had made up a tentative plan of action. </p><p>“Thank you, Firelord Zuko,” Aang grinned, reaching to shake Zuko’s hand.</p><p>“It’s been a pleasure working with you, Avatar Aang,” Zuko smiled lightly, “before you go, I need you to promise to do something for me,” he said, as Aang pulled his hand away. </p><p>“Sure,” Aang said, grinning, but the smile faded as he looked at Zuko’s solemn expression. </p><p>“If I become like my father… If I start to seek out power where I shouldn’t, or disrupt your mission for balance, I need you to… stop me.” </p><p>Aang tilted his head in confusion, “Of course, what are friends for?” </p><p>“No, Aang, I need you to really stop me. Permanently.” </p><p>Aang gasped, shaking his head quickly, “I’m not promising that.”</p><p>“Aang, you must.” </p><p>“I won’t,” Aang was backing away, “You’re- you’re my best friend!”</p><p>“Please, Aang. Remember Roku?”</p><p>“How do you-”</p><p>“Sozin was my grandfather, Aang, I’ve heard the story.” </p><p>“I’m not promising to <em> kill </em> you! I didn’t even kill <em> Ozai </em>!”</p><p>“<em> Please </em>, Aang. I’d hate to spend my life in a prison cell with no bending. It would be the kindest thing you could do if things… don’t go well.” </p><p>“I won’t!” </p><p>“Avatar Aang!” Zuko drew himself up to his full height, narrowing his eyes and staring down at Aang, “I am only asking you to do your duty to the world.” </p><p>Aang stared back up at him for a few moments, eyes wide. “Fine!” he snapped, finally, “I’ll promise to do as you ask, Lord Zuko, but only because I trust that I will not have cause to make good on that promise.” </p><p>Zuko nodded, and Aang swept out of the room. Once again, Zuko was struck by how much he had grown. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>One Year Later </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Zuko was expecting Aang when he stormed through the doors of the council room. </p><p>“How <em> dare </em> you!” The avatar was fuming, followed closely by Katara, Suki, and Sokka, all frowning in concern. </p><p>“If you care to sit down I’ll explain to you what’s going on,” Zuko said calmly from his own chair. </p><p>“I’ve heard enough of an explanation, Zuko, your actions- or rather- <em> lack </em> of action is completely destroying any faith that the Earth Kingdom was beginning to have in you, you’ve jeopardized our support from the King-”</p><p>“<em> Your </em> support from the King. <em> I </em> have decided to withdraw mine from this movement.”</p><p>“But why! Because of one little town?” Aang yelled, and Zuko flinched.</p><p>“You want to restore balance, don’t you? These people have learned to live together in peace, what part of that doesn’t say balance to you?”</p><p>“I have to say, Aang, Zuko might be right,” Sokka said quietly, and Suki shot him a Look. </p><p>“But if he refuses to remove the Fire Nation colonials, it’ll look like he’s still trying to occupy Earth Kingdom territory- and how do we know he’s not?” Katara asked angrily. </p><p>“If you would all sit, we can talk through this calmly,” Zuko implored. </p><p>“Calmly? You want to talk about this calmly? You betrayed this movement, Zuko, you betrayed my <em> trust </em> , you betrayed <em> me </em> and everything we were supposed to stand for <em> together </em>!” Aang slammed his fists down on the table. </p><p>“I’m not trying to keep my hold on the Earth Kingdom. Sixty percent of my troops have been called back to the Fire Nation, as well as over half of the colonies.”</p><p>“And what about the other forty percent, Firelord?” Katara asked, standing beside Aang with her arms crossed. </p><p>Sokka slapped a hand against his forehead, shaking his head. Suki put a warning hand on his arm to stop him from commenting, and Zuko inclined his head, giving her a grateful glance. </p><p>“They’re helping rebuild Ba Sing Se and other cities that were damaged in the war, as you well know,” Zuko insisted. “Aang, there are families in some of these colonies that are both Fire and Earth Nation- brothers and sisters with parents who are firebenders <em> and </em> earthbenders. Please, allow them to remain that way.”</p><p>“Under whose jurisdiction, Zuko? Yours?” Aang growled, and Zuko shrugged. </p><p>“They consider themselves Fire Nation citizens,” Zuko started, and Aang scoffed, shaking his head. </p><p>“Hey, hey, boys!” Suki called, “Let’s all take a walk, and try to discuss this without shouting, ok?” </p><p>“Zuko, Aang is right. You can’t keep your claim over these places! It’s wrong!” Katara insisted as the three of them reluctantly followed Sokka and Suki out into the gardens. </p><p>“No yelling, Katara,” Sokka called, and Katara stared murderously at the back of his head. </p><p>“I’m not trying to claim the land for power, I’m trying to <em> help </em> you! These people have found balance, tearing them apart would be the wrong thing to do.” Zuko shook his head, and he could feel Katara bristling. </p><p>“Zuko, I’m begging you -as a friend- please have the colonials out of Yu Dao by the end of the week, or the Earth King will send his military to reconquer the city by force,” Aang said, turning to Zuko. </p><p>“<em> Avatar </em> Aang, <em> I’m </em> begging you -as the Firelord- look at this situation from a perspective interested in balance, and understand that I cannot do as you ask. I must protect my people. If you cannot convince the Earth King not to take military action, then I am afraid I will have no choice but to retaliate. The colonial citizens of Yu Dao will remain in Yu Dao for as long as they choose to do so.” </p><p>Aang turned to him abruptly, “I made you a promise, the day after your coronation.”</p><p>Zuko paled, staring at the avatar, who was breathing heavily in anger, a glowing light flickering in and out in his eyes. </p><p>“Are you threatening me?” Zuko asked, coldly. “Prejudice clouds your judgement, Avatar Aang.” </p><p>Aang glared, his eyes flashing dangerously.</p><p>“Aang!” Katara said softly, putting her hand on his shoulder, </p><p>“Only if I have to be,” Aang answered, a light breeze fluttering around him. Suki stepped forward, trying to put herself between him and the avatar. Aang looked furious, and Zuko worried he may have inadvertently triggered the avatar state.</p><p>“Stay back, Suki.” Zuko insisted, “Suki! That’s an order!” </p><p>He stepped forward, feeling the avatars gaze on him, and slowly knelt to the ground, bowing his head and waiting for whatever Aang would choose to do. He focused his eyes on the stone path a few inches from his nose, feeling the wind die down. He counted to ten, and lifted his head to see Aang take a few paces back, breeze dying down, the fight going out of his eyes. He felt sixteen again, the first time he’d seen Aang come out of the avatar state. He felt like the enemy. </p><p>Aang gasped, covering his mouth with his hand and staring down at Zuko in horror.</p><p>“Aang are you all right?” Katara gasped, shooting a confused glance at Zuko, who was still kneeling before the avatar.</p><p>“I’m fine.” Aang lifted his head and met the Firelord's eyes. </p><p>“I’m glad you didn’t kill me, Avatar Aang. I truly believe we are on the same side here,” Zuko told him. </p><p>Aang flinched, opening his mouth to say something.</p><p>Zuko rose to his feet, staring down at the younger boy. “But that is the last time I will <em> ever </em> kneel for you.” Zuko fixed Aang with a cold glare. “When you wish to discuss this matter further, I will be in the council room.” </p><p>“Zuko!” Katara yelled after him, angrily. Zuko ignored her, stalking away with Suki at his heels. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>“I think you’re right, Zuko,” Suki told him over a game of Pai Sho that evening. </p><p>“So do I,” said Sokka, resting his head on Suki’s shoulder, “But I understand where Aang is coming from.”</p><p>“As do I,” Zuko replied, narrowing his eyes at the playing board, “but I can’t understand why <em> he </em> doesn’t seem to understand where <em> I’m </em> coming from.” </p><p>“I’ll bet he thinks the same thing,” Sokka scoffed, reaching over and moving one of Zuko’s pieces. </p><p>“Hey! I’m definitely going to lose now! You’re banished, Sokka. Never set foot in my palace again!” Zuko joked, and was rewarded for his attempt at lightening the mood with a Pai Sho tile to the forehead.</p><p>Before Zuko could retaliate, there was a light tap on the door. </p><p>“Enter,” Suki said, standing up and placing her hands over her weapons. </p><p>“It’s me,” Aang said, poking his head into the room. “I’d- I- I would like to request a private audience with the Firelord.”</p><p>“Can we trust you to not kill him?” Sokka asked, jokingly, but Aang still flinched. </p><p>“He’s kidding,” Suki glared at her boyfriend, “C’mon Sokka, we’ll stand watch outside.” </p><p>Zuko watched silently as Aang slowly approached the table, eyes flicking nervously. </p><p>“Actually-” Suki stopped, turning around just before she reached the door, “Aang, can I just say something?”</p><p>“Sure?” Aang said, turning to face her. </p><p>“I know you think that it’s wrong for the Fire Nation colonials to stay in Yu Dao and other Earth Kingdom cities, but it’s more than just one family that has heritage from both nations. There are many, and they are all strong, persistent, driven and determined. They have elements of both cultures in them, even if they only bend one element or the other- or none at all. And Aang, if you truly believe that the nations should be separate, even these families, then how can you condone the family that Sokka and I want to have?”</p><p>“I-” Aang started to reply, but trailed off. </p><p>“I’m Earth Nation, and Sokka is Water Tribe. We are both leaders in our communities, and we have both heard stories of how our relationship has inspired members of both our nations to help and welcome each other. When I see the families in Yu Dao, I see <em> our </em> family, too,” Suki finished, and before Aang or Zuko could answer, she bowed herself out of the room. Aang remained facing the door, silent, until Zuko finally called him over.  </p><p>“Sit, please, Avatar Aang.” </p><p>“Zuko- Firelord Zuko- I’m sorry.” </p><p>“It’s just Zuko. Sit down.” Zuko cleared away the Pai Sho game and gestured to the chair on his right. </p><p>“I-” Aang stared at him for a moment before gingerly taking the seat. </p><p>“I <em> did </em> do what my father would have done today, Aang. I would not have blamed you for… following through with that promise,” Zuko admitted. </p><p>“You’re right, though,” Aang said, and a wave of shock hit Zuko like a train.  </p><p>    “You- you think I’m right?” Zuko gasped. </p><p>    Aang nodded, “I do. And what Suki just said solidified that for me. I’ve requested that the Earth King withdraw his armies and -on Sokka’s recommendation- I’ve asked him to pay a visit to Yu Dao with me, to see what is being done there.”</p><p>“So…” </p><p>“So I’m ending the Harmony Restoration Movement. Thank you for helping me see that what I was promoting was not balance, but simply the kind of segregation and misunderstanding that started the war in the first place.” </p><p>Zuko was silent, mind whirring, and surprise freezing his limbs in his chair. </p><p>“I- thank you, Aang.” </p><p>“Thank <em> you </em>.” Aang stood, and held out his hand. Zuko took it, and was reeled in for a long hug. </p><p>“I’m sorry, Aang.”</p><p>“Me, too.” Aang tucked his head deeper into the crook of Zuko’s neck, and mumbled “And Zuko? I do trust you, you know. I just...”</p><p>“Can’t screw this up,” Zuko sighed, squeezing Aang’s shoulders, “Believe me, I get it.” </p><p>“I’m really glad we’re friends,” Aang said, pulling away and smiling apologetically. Zuko just nodded, watching the cherry blossoms blowing past the window. He looked back at Aang, who had also turned his attention to the window, and was looking solemnly out, expression one that would be more at home on the face of a man Iroh’s age or older. Zuko wondered if his father was sad to be missing the cherry blossoms that year. He hoped so.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Five Years Later</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Appa’s loud grumble cut through the soothing sound of Iroh’s tsungi horn, bringing a soft smile to Zuko’s face as he set down a cup of tea beside the old man. He could see his two-year-old dragon (now about the same size as Appa) dancing circles around the bison, and he whistled gently, asking Druk to stop annoying the avatars spirit guide. Iroh stopped playing and smiled at his nephew before taking a hearty sip of the hot tea. Zuko stifled a laugh as Iroh’s face twisted up in pain from the burning liquid on his tongue. He tapped Toph on her right shoulder, indicating that she should grab a mug of tea from him. The earthbender flexed her bare, callused feet and leaned back in her chair, inhaling the scent of jasmine tea, wagashi biscuits and fire lily that was the Jasmine Dragon, and the hint of sandalwood and smoke that was Zuko. A light breeze from Aangs air-ball ruffled the fabric of Zuko’s trousers, and Momo chattered quietly, chasing the sphere. This was their routine: they travelled and worked and planned nearly every day of the year, but the summers they spent in Ba Sing Se; they always tried to get the whole gang together for at least a week. Toph and Aang were more readily at hand, -at least for Zuko- often spending months in the fire nation capital, planning, but Sokka traveled back and forth between the South Pole and the Earth Kingdom, and Katara was busy with her school in the North. Surprisingly, Toph had been her most frequent visitor there, splitting the rest of her time between Iroh and Zuko. However, despite having an entire wing of the palace designated to her when she visited, Zuko knew that she preferred the small apartment she kept in Ba Sing Se. Sometimes the group was missing one or two members for their summer reunion, but this year everyone had made time to visit. As Zuko looked around at Katara and Mai playing Pai Sho while Ty Lee massaged her wife’s shoulders, and Aang and Momo played on the floor, he thought he wouldn’t trade these annual few weeks of summer for the world.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for the tea, Zuko, now how about a little -ahem- assistance with the Pai Sho match?” Katara smirked and Zuko shook his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not responsible for this- you knew what you were getting into when you challenged Mai to a game!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Katara, no cheating!” Ty Lee laughed, and Sokka reached up to take his cup from Zuko before returning to his carving. The carving hobby was a significantly more successful endeavor than the paintings had ever been, and Zuko took a moment to admire the half formed badgermole in Sokka’s hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t you ever ask me for Pai Sho help, Katara?” Sokka grinned.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you’re terrible!” Katara, Iroh, and Mai chorused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw man!” Sokka laughed, and Zuko grinned, shaking his head. Toph had migrated over to Iroh and was now attempting to persuade him to teach her to play the tsungi horn; luckily, Iroh had enough sense not to let her near a musical instrument. Mai, Ty Lee, Sokka and Katara continued playfully bickering, so Zuko set Mai’s tea down on the table and looked up just in time to see Aang smile softly at all of them, and make his way onto the deck. The sun was about to begin settling into a mountain of cream and gold clouds, and Aang looked so peaceful, framed against the sky. It reminded Zuko of the first time they had done this- a few days after his coronation. Ty Lee and Mai had been playing Suki two-on-one at Pai Sho, because Suki was a formidable opponent, and they’d decided that as beginners it was only fair. Sokka had painted a terrible painting of all of them, and they were arguing about each of their appearances- </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My hair isn’t that spiky! I look like a porcupine!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At least you don’t have momo’s ears!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Those are your hair loopies!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I look like a man!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well my hair looks like a snake and my face looks like it got smudged!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was an accident!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why did you paint me firebending?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought it was more exciting!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! My belly isn’t that big- I’ve really trimmed down!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I think you all look great!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang had slipped away that day, too, and Zuko had followed, walking out onto the deck with the boy who had the weight of the world on his shoulders. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You ok, Aang?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang had sighed, looking out at the sky, “Not really. But I will be.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Zuko had reached out and gathered the airbender into his arms and held him, trying to shield Aang from the world, wishing he could allow the avatar to stay safely a kid for just a little while longer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, five years later, as he followed Aang out onto that same deck, Zuko didn’t say anything. Aang wasn’t a kid anymore, and he’d outgrown the nightmares that sent him rushing into Zuko’s chambers in the wee hours of the morning to sleep on the couch in the months after the comet. Aang was stronger, now (although he did fall asleep in Zuko’s rooms after long days discussing their plans for Republic City and the rebuilding of the Air Nation fairly often). He was smarter, taller than Zuko, and definitely no longer a kid. Zuko walked up to stand beside the avatar, quietly, and felt blood rise to his face as Aang turned to look at him, suddenly a little embarrassed that he had followed the monk without invitation. He opened his mouth to say something, but Aang’s expression was soft, and he seemed not to mind Zuko’s presence, so he shut it again. He opted for putting his hand on Aang’s shoulder instead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad you’re here.” Aang murmured as he turned towards Zuko, winding his arms around the other man's waist and pulling him in. Zuko rested his head in the hollow of Aang’s shoulder, remembering another hug- a hug in which he had almost lifted the Avatar off the ground. Now, Aang was pulling him up until he was resting on the balls of his feet. He stubbornly kept his heels on the floor, but allowed himself to soak in the feeling of peace and the scent of windblown pine trees that followed Aang everywhere.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Zuko expected Aang to pull away, expected to have to look into the avatar’s friendly smile, to be offered a pat on the back and be resigned to head back inside, swallowing everything he wanted to say. Everything he had wanted to say for the past two years. He’d realized he was in love with Aang ages ago, but the avatar was so young, and both of them were too busy rebuilding everything the war had taken from them, planning and contriving and having no time for revelations. And then they were celebrating Mai and Ty Lee’s wedding, and then Sokka and Suki, and then King Bumi had died and Aang had spent three weeks in Zuko’s room in the palace with the blinds closed, wrapping Zuko around him like a shield as he mourned loss of the last piece of his old life. And then Suki… well. And Aang had been there, soothing the night terrors away and barely sleeping, just to make sure Zuko could rest and escape his guilt. And before Zuko knew it, five years had passed and Aang’s presence in his life was so constant, so important, that Zuko wasn’t sure if he should ever bother saying anything at all for fear of losing his closest friend -however irrational that fear was </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>(Aang would never hold his feelings against him). However, he knew that he couldn’t go on much longer pretending that it didn’t kill him a little bit every time they trained together and he got to watch Aang’s back muscles moving under his scarred, perfect skin. He couldn’t keep pretending it didn’t affect him when Aang fell asleep with his head resting on Zuko’s shoulder as they poured over documents at Zuko’s desk. He couldn’t keep pretending that there was no particular reason that Aang’s designated chambers at the palace were the closest to his own, despite the fact that there were entire empty wings that could be tailored to the Avatar’s use. Spirits- they </span>
  <em>
    <span>shared</span>
  </em>
  <span> an office, despite the fact that there was enough space for both of them to have a separate room dedicated to each different area of diplomacy, even with the expansions to the servants quarters. He needed Aang to know, even if it didn’t change anything. Even if he had to keep wanting in vain, or had to force himself to stop wanting at all. But Aang wasn’t pulling away from Zuko’s embrace; he kept holding on, as if Zuko was a liferaft and he was tired of swimming. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko… can we- would you…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s up, Aang?” Zuko prompted, patiently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know we’re only supposed to be gone for a week, but could we maybe go to Ember Island after we’re done here? I could really use a relaxing beach vacation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko snorted, and he felt the rumble of Aang’s own chuckle in his ribs before he registered the sound of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, Aang, but I don’t know if home renovations and all the firebending training I’m going to make you do will end up being all that relaxing.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You wouldn’t!” Aang gasped and giggled, and Zuko somehow managed to hold him even closer. The sky was now brilliantly pink, and Aang slowly loosened his hold on Zuko, stepping back, but keeping a hand on Zuko’s scapula. The gentle pressure was enough to keep Zuko in place, curiously watching as Aang lifted his hand and tucked a piece of hair that had fallen out of Zuko’s top-knot behind his ear. It was such a tender, intimate gesture that Zuko sucked air sharply between his teeth, making a hissing noise. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang dropped his hands to his sides, “Sorry I-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine.” Zuko smiled, keeping his hands on the Avatar’s shoulders to hold him still. Aang smiled back, eyes soft, and leaned down, gently pressing his mouth to Zuko’s. Somehow, even though he wasn’t expecting it, even though he had been so doubtful moments before that Aang in any way returned his feelings, Zuko wasn’t surprised by the action. He melted easily into Aang, sliding his arms around the taller man's neck as Aang's own hands cupped his face. They both pulled back for a moment, grinning at each other, and then Aang wound his arms around Zuko’s waist and pulled him back into his embrace, easing his tongue between Zuko’s lips. It was clumsy, imperfect, and it felt like home.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was so natural, being with Aang- fixing his tea, pressing kisses to the back of his neck when they were alone in the kitchen, washing up after dinner. They were quiet about the change in their relationship for the rest of their time in Ba Sing Se; they slept in their own rooms, they didn’t act any differently in front of their friends, save for the occasional lingering stare or slight increase in casual physical contact. They didn’t say anything about it to the others -yet- but once Sokka and Katara left for their respective snowy poles, and Mai and Ty Lee returned to active duty, Aang and Zuko told Toph to return to the fire nation without them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are you guys going?” she asked, smiling knowingly at them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ember Island,” Aang replied easily, “we’re going to fix up the house and just have a vacation for a bit longer,” he didn’t wait for her response, just wandered off to feed Appa and Druk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Riiiight, Twinkle Toes,” Toph smirked after him, then pointed to Zuko, “I think you know what happens to you if you break Twinkle Toes’ little heart, right, Sparky?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Toph. I’m not planning on it,” Zuko growled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, well. Just a casual reminder that even though he’s the avatar and he’s technically one-hundred and eighteen, he’s actually still just a teenager. He’s going to give this everything he has to give because he doesn’t know better, and that’s the way things work with him. And if you don’t give him everything back… You’re going to regret it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should report you for threatening the Firelord,” Zuko teased, “I’m not going to hurt him. And it would do you some good to remember that you’re still just a kid, too, Commander Bei-Fong.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, go find your boyfriend.” Toph socked him in the arm and Zuko clenched his teeth, trying not to yelp. He watched her walk out the door of the house and towards the Jasmine Dragon to say goodbye to Iroh, rubbing his arm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not a child, Zuko. I haven’t been since I was twelve.” Zuko jumped, feet settling in a fighting stance as he turned to face the window where Aang was perched. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spirits, Aang. I could have fried you! Toph would have broken every bone in my body- twice!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Aang said, and crossed the room to where Zuko was standing with a determined harshness in his expression, “I’m not a kid, though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko reached out, letting his hands rest on the sharp crests of Aang’s hips. “I know. But I’m still ‘just a teenager’,” He joked, mocking Aang’s own twelve-year-old voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang’s face softened briefly, and he laughed “Shut up!” before his expression closed off again, “I just mean I’m not so naive that I didn’t consider the possibility that this might not be, y’know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it</span>
  </em>
  <span> for you. I know we’re young- I’m young, and as the avatar I need to be neutral in any conflicts between the nations and you’re the Firelord- You’re the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Firelord</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Zuko! And you need to have an heir and basically an entire culture’s survival depends on </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> ability to get laid-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who said that’s going to be a problem?” Zuko teased, and Aang turned red. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know what I mean! Anyways- I just- I know this might not be forever, or even last past this week, or like, today, but I’m not a kid and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> what I want.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what do you want?” Zuko asked, trying for a soothing tone, but his voice sounded pleading to his own ears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span>. This. Even though it’s kind of impossible-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang, spirits, you talk so much sometimes!” Zuko laughed, pulling the younger man to him and holding him tightly against his chest, “I want this, too. I want </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And as for everything else… we’ll just figure it out as we go. Nobody else has to know for a while anyways.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘Cept Toph,” Aang mumbled into Zuko’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stood quietly for a few more moments, before gathering their things, saying goodbye to Iroh, and taking off for Ember Island. Zuko sent Druk on ahead; the dragon was still too young for Zuko to want to try saddle training him, as he wasn’t fully grown yet. Zuko didn’t know if he could do damage to the creature's growth by riding him too soon, but he wasn’t taking chances. For this journey, he joined Aang on Appa’s back. He watched Aang’s bare shoulders as he guided Appa across the sky, taking in the sight he’d missed so much since the war ended. They hadn’t really traveled this way together since before the comet; Zuko hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed leaning back in Appa’s saddle, Momo flitting around his face and Aang’s laughter surrounding him, carried by the wind. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Which room was yours when you used to come here as a kid?” Aang asked as they made their way up to the house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, the one that you slept in when we stayed here,” Zuko told him, swinging open the door and making his way through the brightly lit living room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? Why didn’t you say something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s the safest room in the house. My mother was really paranoid about assassins coming after us here, so Azula and I had small rooms that were tucked away from the rest of the house- just in case. I stayed in Azula’s room when we were here last. I think Sokka and Suki had my parents,” Zuko laughed, and led Aang up the stairs of the house and around a corner. “I figured if anyone should be sleeping in the safety room it should be you.” He pulled a pin from his topknot and jiggled the lock on what appeared to be a closet door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Aang laughed, and the lock clicked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We never came up here before the comet, but there’s an open air attic up these stairs. It’s so hot, it would probably be the best place to sleep,” Zuko explained, taking Aang’s bags from him and leading the way up the narrow steps. Aang followed, running his fingers over the dusty walls and watching the sun catching in the dust mites. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you stay up here, too?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Zuko called from where he was hauling a dusty mattress off of the old bed frame that was tucked under the slant of the roof. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you stay up here, too?” Aang repeated, trying not to stare at the muscles of Zuko's arms as he beat the dust out of the mattress with the broken leg of a nearby table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you want- I just thought it would be a nice place for you to do your meditation in the mornings. And it’ll be cooler. I was going to stay in my old room but I can set my bed up in here if you want me to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang walked across the room to where the floor gave way to open air and a triangle of sunlight shone under the roof. Two ends of the room were open to the sky, and the roof met the floor on the other sides. Aang leaned against the short railing and turned to look at Zuko, still wrestling the dusty mattress. The dust mites swirled around him, stained golden by the late afternoon light. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not going to stay in my bed?” Aang asked, trying for coy, but falling just short at ‘slightly irritated but mainly confused’. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko glanced over his shoulder and grinned, “Oh is that what this is about then? Here I thought you were worried about my </span>
  <em>
    <span>comfort</span>
  </em>
  <span> in this heat, but you’re just trying to get in my pants?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, pretty much,” Aang replied, and was rewarded with a rare Zuko laugh. Aang grinned, and then, without thinking about it, blurted, “I just really want to wake up with you tomorrow morning- I mean- It’s just-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang.” Zuko said, turning to face him briefly, “Me too. I’ve been thinking about it all week. Not that I haven’t woken up beside you before, but I’m really excited to do it </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> in an office chair with a major knot in my neck and drool all over my Firelord robes.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang laughed, watching Zuko as he continued fussing with the dusty mattress. He could smell the ocean, and the light hint of sandalwood that drifted after Zuko as he moved around the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you,” Aang told Zuko, conversationally, before realizing that he’d spoken aloud. He froze, standing up straight and watching Zuko’s reaction carefully. The older man was also still, turned away from Aang. He shot an almost frightened glance over his shoulder, and mumbled something under his breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, you’re going to have to repeat that,” Aang whispered, although he knew what Zuko had said. He walked quietly across the room to wrap himself around Zuko, resting his head on the fire benders shoulder and pressing the whorls of his palms into the fabric covering Zuko’s chest, as if he could meld their skin together through the fabric. Zuko let the mattress fall to the floor, and dropped the table leg, covering Aang's hands with his own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, too…” Zuko said quietly, and Aang could hear the goofy smile forming in his voice. Aang pressed his lips to the soft skin under Zuko’s ear, and Zuko squirmed in his arms. Aang’s thumb brushed over a slight irregularity under the fabric of Zuko’s tunic, and he paused, easing the crossover apart and sneaking one hand onto Zuko’s chest, feeling for the scar. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spirits Aang- what-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it.” Aang peeled himself away and stepped in front of Zuko, placing his hand back over the fabric that hid the scar. “Even though we’ve been training together for years.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not a pleasant memory. I tend to keep my shirt on for training, now,” Zuko rolled his eyes, but Aang could see the shame behind them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know it’s not pleasant, but it was a brave and selfless thing that you did. You should feel some pride in that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-” Zuko looked sadly up at Aang, and carefully unknotted the tie holding his tunic closed. Aang reached up and gently eased the silk off his shoulders, trailing his hand over the sweat tacky skin to the faded scar at Zuko’s sternum. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s an ugly thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The rest of you isn’t though,” Aang grinned, letting himself stare for a moment. Zuko flushed, and Aang suddenly thought of his own scar. Zuko’s eyes widened as Aang crouched in front of him, shoving his hip gently so he stumbled to a seat on the edge of the bed frame. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang- what are you-” Zuko trailed off as Aang pulled his shoes off, pressing a thumb into the scar tissue on the bottom of Zuko’s foot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We match,” The avatar said, kneeling between the older man's calves.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess we do,” Zuko replied weakly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko… I’m sorry.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you sorry for?” Zuko demanded, scooting back on the bed so he could sit upright and stare down imperiously at Aang. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should have been there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were </span>
  <em>
    <span>defeating</span>
  </em>
  <span> the father lord!” Zuko exploded, and Aang burst out laughing. He’d almost stopped when he caught a glimpse of Zuko’s confused face and peeled off into hysterics again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh- spirits! Fuck!” Zuko finally realized what he had said and began to laugh as well, aiming a playful blow at Aang. Then they were falling over each other, shoving and tickling and eventually play-fighting their way to the floor, limbs hazardously entangled. Once they had calmed down, Zuko nudged Aang onto his side, gently slid his orange sash off of his shoulders, and pressed a kiss into the scar on the avatar’s back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> should be apologizing. This never would have happened if I hadn’t-” Aang felt frustration bubble up in his chest. He hated the way Zuko blamed himself for everything. He rolled over to face Zuko, propping himself up on one elbow and taking the older man's face in his free hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But </span>
  <em>
    <span>we </span>
  </em>
  <span>never would have happened if you hadn’t gone back to the Fire Nation and realized you didn’t belong there. Not to mention we’d have lost the war.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that.” Zuko grumbled, and Aang groaned, rolling his eyes and shoving Zuko onto his back, straddling his hips.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I know what I </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Aang insisted, and then realized he sounded petulant, like the child he’d told Zuko he no longer was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you want, Avatar?” Zuko almost purred the words at him, running his hands over Aang’s calves, and then around his slim waist, over the pronounced muscles of his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “You. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Aang growled, snatching up Zuko’s wrists and pinning them over his head. “And don’t call me that!” The man beneath him gasped sharply, and in one fluid motion, Aang found himself flat on his back, both slender wrists caught in one of Zuko’s calloused hands, his head cradled by the other. His legs were still tangled around Zuko’s waist, and he shivered as Zuko dragged his free hand down Aang’s torso, over his hip and around to firmly grasp the airbenders upper thigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh. Don’t like being bossed around, Mr. Firelord?” Aang grinned up at Zuko, who simply rolled his eyes and attached his mouth to Aang’s throat. Aang squirmed at the not-unpleasant pulling sensation on his skin, but Zuko’s hands were pinning him down and he didn’t really want to go anywhere anyways. Zuko was making a trail of dark red marks down Aang’s torso with his tongue and his teeth, but stopped at the hollow of the younger boy’s hips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We could, y’know, not do this on the floor.” Zuko raised an eyebrow at Aang, who had been clutching desperately at his hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We could.” Aang conceded, and yelped in surprise as Zuko slid his arms around him, hauling him to a messy kneeling position halfway on the Firelord’s lap. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you hadn’t gotten so tall I would have just thrown you,” Zuko joked, pressing another kiss to Aang’s collarbone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry to inconvenience you, your highness.” Aang rolled his eyes, and was immediately yanked to his feet, the ties of his trousers coming undone easily in Zuko’s hands. “Spirits, Zuko, if all I had to do to get you to fuck me was sass you a little I would have expected to be in your bed years ago-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>   “What did you say?” Zuko lifted his head from where it was pressed into Aang’s abdomen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I said, if all it took to get you to fuck me-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that what you want, Avatar?” Zuko smirked, and an involuntary shudder ran through Aang as he looked down at the firebender. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t call me that-” Aang gasped as Zuko lowered his mouth to his skin once again. Zuko didn’t respond, keeping his mouth on Aang and holding the younger man’s hips still with strong hands. Aang could feel him smiling a little every time he groaned or twitched particularly violently, and kept his hand in Zuko’s hair, satisfied with the mess he was making out of the Firelord’s topknot. Zuko swallowed around him as he finished, and sat back on his heels, allowing Aang to stumble out of his embrace and onto the mattress that was still laying on the floor by the bed frame. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re so young.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Aang breathed out harshly, lifting his head to see Zuko licking his lips and rising to his feet. The avatar groaned again, feeling himself flush impossibly more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why I haven’t- that’s why I didn’t say anything. I’ve loved you for years. But you were so young.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How many years?” Aang asked, resisting the urge to reach for Zuko, who was untangling his hair from its tie. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Remember when we stayed in the Southern Air Temple for a week?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like last year?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah- no- remember when you fell asleep at my desk the night we came up with the idea for Republic City?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah… that was like, just over a year ago.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Remember when you brought me back to my room at Mai and Ty Lee’s wedding because I was drunk and we fell asleep on the couch?  Or when you hid yourself away in the palace for three weeks after Bumi passed away and I held you when you cried yourself to sleep every night? Remember when Suki died and you were the only thing that kept me from going crazy? Remember when you started leaving your belongings in my office and started referring to it as ours? When you basically moved into my guest rooms?  Or maybe it was when I gave you those prayer beads for your fifteenth birthday and you told me I was your best friend. Remember that? Remember the first time we went to Uncle's tea shop and you said you never wanted to leave? Remember how you stood beside me at my coronation and made me feel like I could do anything? Remember when we saw the last dragons, and they taught us that fire could be life, too? And I told you I understood?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whoa. Yeah, Zuko, I remember.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well that’s when.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When you told me you understood? I’m confused.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I’ve been falling in love with you every day since you told me you trusted me at the Western Air Temple, Aang.” There was a sort of stubborn frustration in Zuko’s voice that Aang couldn’t decipher. He stood with his back to the avatar, long black hair cascading over his shoulders, skin tinged golden with the light from the now setting sun. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve known for two years. When you came to visit me at the Southern Air temple that time; we fell asleep outside where the bison stables used to be, and in the morning there was a herd of wild bison flying around above us. You were still asleep when I woke up, and the sun was rising and it was so perfect and I just… knew.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I remember that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko, come here.” Aang finally begged, sitting up and reaching for Zuko. The older man turned around and smiled softly -it was a ridiculous expression on him, but one that Aang was becoming intimately familiar with. He walked over and settled beside Aang, pushing the other man down to lay on his side, pressing his chest against the airbenders upper back. Their scars lined up almost perfectly. Aang sighed as Zuko gently traced the line of his tattoo with his lips, holding the man's warm hands against his chest. After a moment of calm, Zuko bit the curve of Aang’s neck lightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still want me to fuck you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang shuddered involuntarily, and he nodded, moving to straddle Zuko’s hips. Soon, he had one hand working between them and his mouth was open and laughing as he pulled more and more obscene words and noises from Zuko’s lips. And then he was being pressed down into the mattress, telling Zuko between gasps and whimpers that this wasn’t much different than having sex on the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The sex part was your idea.” Zuko insisted, and Aang had to take a few breaths before he could answer, much to the Firelord’s amusement. That he could be amused by Aang in their current position seemed somehow unfair, but Aang found it was more endearing than irritating. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You started it!” Aang told him saucily, throwing just a little more force into the movement of his hips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko growled, and pressed into Aang, “Sass me like that </span>
  <em>
    <span>one more time</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Avatar.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang didn’t have enough focus to answer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He fell asleep with Zuko’s long hair falling over his chest, the Firelord’s skin warm and soft under his hands. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>The morning light hit Zuko’s eyes at six in the morning, according to the spark-candles that Sokka had given him, and he woke to see Aang sitting at the edge of the roof, still wearing just his underthings. The sunlight surrounded him, and he was ethereal, like he’d blown in from some other world. Zuko smiled at the idea- it was strangely close to the truth. He got out of bed quietly and headed down to the beach. He wasn’t the swimmer that Katara and Aang both were, but he was decent enough that a quick lap around the bay didn’t seem like such a bad idea to start his day. Zuko generally didn’t love the water, or swimming, but the sun was already hot and he badly needed to bathe anyways. He made his way slowly around their small, private section of beach first, before swimming out and around the natural break between their beach and the main beach where he, Azula, Ty Lee and Mai had spent the weekend almost six years ago. He stuck close to the rocky shore as he rounded the corner, and used the bank as a diving point to push off into a quick front crawl, relishing the way his muscles sang out with the effort of pushing him forward against the slowly retreating tide. When he arrived back at the house, he found Aang with a bucket of soap and water, scrubbing down the bottom floor with waterbending and a sponge. There was a pile of old, broken furniture outside, looking as though it had been stacked in hopes of becoming a small bonfire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You know I didn’t mean it about the renovations, right?” Zuko laughed, dropping his clothes on a shelf. The sun had almost dried his skin just on the walk from the beach, but Aang was still practically naked and Zuko figured he might as well let the heat of the day dry his own undergarments. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You went swimming?” Aang asked him, surprised. He walked over to Zuko and blew a gentle whirlwind of cool air at his head. Zuko felt his hair drying under the airbenders efforts, and stayed still until Aang was satisfied. “I could have had it dry in a second if I wanted to, but I was feeling generous, so I didn’t blast you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I appreciate that,” Zuko quipped, grabbing Aang’s wrist and pulling him in for a kiss, “And yes, I swam around the bay. I know what your ‘I’m coming out of my meditation in the next year’ breath sounds like and you weren’t doing it when I woke up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Hey! I meditated for two hours this morning, not a whole year!” Aang protested, flicking some soap at Zuko before bending the dirty water back into the bucket and sending a series of small tornados flitting about the room to dry it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Or a hundred,” Zuko teased. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Shut up,” Aang laughed, “Now who’s sassy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“What’s for breakfast, Avatar?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Stop calling me that. I’m having some fry-bread</span>
  <span> that Katara sent and some fruit from the </span>
  <em>
    <span>very overgrown</span>
  </em>
  <span> garden. I think Sokka put some seal jerky in with the food Iroh and Katara gave us? But there’s not really any meat there -other than the stuff for Druk. Sorry, Zuko.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fruit and fry-bread sounds great. I don’t mind being vegetarian for a week.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really. And I’ll have someone get in that garden once we leave. I’m afraid to touch it myself,” Zuko promised, looking out over the messy jungle of plants that was once a well manicured yard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Zuko,” Aang said, looking over at him with wide eyes. They set about making their meal, and carried it out to the deck overlooking the courtyard that Zuko had taught Aang to firebend in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I haven’t been here since before the comet,” Aang realized, looking around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toph and I came here once. About five months after Suki…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You came here with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Toph</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Aang almost dropped his bread, turning to stare at Zuko. “Well that explains the fireplace. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> that wasn’t here last time!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yeah. She said I owed her a life-changing field trip. And- actually, that was the first time I admitted to myself that I...” Zuko trailed off, and Aang raised an eyebrow at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That you…?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That I loved you.” Zuko mumbled, blushing. Aang laughed lightly, and kissed Zuko’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But that’s when you got Druk, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Zuko snatched a berry from Aang’s plate and was elbowed harshly in the ribs for his thievery. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You told me that you got called to the temple and the dragon hatched when you were there and-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really never told you the whole story?” Zuko asked, frowning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well. It’s kinda when Toph and I became close friends.”  </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The fry-bread mentioned here is a reference to what I know as Bannock, which is a bread traditional to the Skwxwu7mesh First Nation community from my hometown in Canada. The Water Tribe is based on Inuit, Yupik, and Sirenik First Nations cultures, which all have different names for the delicious traditional bread. Seriously, if you have a chance to try this stuff, I would highly recommend it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Two Years Earlier </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>Zuko was alone in his office, blinds drawn. Aang had left three days ago to continue his work at the Eastern Air Temple, and Zuko was fighting to keep himself from falling back into a spiral of guilt and grief. Suddenly, the door crashed open, and Zuko leapt into a fighting stance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just me, Sparky.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spirits, fuck, Toph. I could have killed you!” Zuko protested, and Toph walked across the room, sliding his own chair out from behind him and falling into it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d like to see you try, Sparky.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have!” Zuko groaned, stepping back to look at her, “And I’d be better at it, now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right. Whatever, Mr Mopey face.” Toph reached forward and flicked some dirt out from between her toes. Zuko wrinkled his nose as it flew onto his floor.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t even see my face.” Zuko accused, breathing evenly to slow his heart and pulling Aang’s chair out from the wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t sit down yet, Sparky,” Toph told him, and he froze halfway to his seat. “Remember how you owe me a life-changing field trip?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko sat down and sighed, “Toph, I’m sort of insanely busy right now. I’d love to-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, no, you’re taking four days to come on an adventure with me. Don’t even think about arguing, I already told Amber to reschedule your meetings.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toph! You can’t just do that- I can’t just take four days off to help you work through your childhood issues on a whim-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no, Zuko, honey, we’re not going on this trip for me.” Toph leaned forward and punched Zuko in the arm. He gasped, and glared at her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I realized why we never went on a field trip before the comet-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No time?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up and listen, Sparky. I didn’t need a field trip. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> who I am, I always have. I didn’t need you to teach me about forgiveness or trusting my judgement or fire being life or whatever the fuck the others needed from you. I didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, and I never will.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, Toph, thanks.” Zuko knitted his eyebrows together and Toph laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sparky, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> need </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>! I’m everything you’re not- I’m self assured, I don’t need anyone's approval, and I’ve never had a problem making my mind up about who my real family is, or what my destiny is supposed to be. We never went on a life-changing field trip because it’s not me who needs a field trip, it’s you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s-” Zuko stopped short of saying crazy, because Toph was one of the most cut-and-dry people he knew. She didn’t propose anything crazy, because her brain only worked on logic, and this- “That makes sense, actually.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great, so get your swords and let's go.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toph’s preferred method of travel was either bending a slab of earth over the countryside like a bizarre land surfboard, or by eelhound. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would just make you stand behind me on my rock slab, but Katara told me last time I made her do it that it’s an inhumane way to make anyone travel, so I guess we’re taking these things,” She told Zuko. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It took them a day and a half to get to Ember Island. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I haven’t been here since before the comet,” Zuko said, looking around at the house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me neither, obviously,” Toph replied, pressing her hands to the edges of the hole Zuko’s body had carved into the thin walls when Aang had blasted him out of the house. “How do you feel about a fireplace in here?” She asked, and Zuko shrugged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not very traditional, but whatever.” A loud crash echoed through the house, and the hole in the wall had been replaced with a perfectly square sandstone chimney. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit, Toph!” Zuko shouted, leaping back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The actual fireplace is downstairs,” Toph told him, “I took the liberty of carving myself into it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excellent,” Zuko groaned. Sure enough, the sides of the fireplace were decorated with images of Toph, Katara, Zuko, Aang, Sokka and Suki, all wielding their element or weapon of choice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well. It’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mostly me, though,” Toph replied, plopping down on the sofa and propping her feet up on a dusty ottoman. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what are we doing here?” Zuko asked, sitting beside her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it seems like this is a conflicted place for you, so I figured, why not?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why conflicted?” Zuko pressed, though he already knew what Toph meant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well your family used to come here when you were a kid so there’s a sort of bitter-sweetness there, because your mum isn’t around much, your dad is in prison, and your sister is clinically insane. And then you spent some time here with her and Mai and Ty Lee, who are now together despite Mai being your first love so that’s kinda bitter-sweet- plus, your sister is clinically insane.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I had actually noticed that,” Zuko smiled wryly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you spent time here with us, which is a happy memory, but it’s tarnished by the conflict from the other memories of this place and the stress of that time.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You and Aang. You become teenagers and suddenly you’re all wise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sixteen, Sparky.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give me some credit, Toph, I know you’re sixteen. Last I checked, that’s a teenager.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I’ve been a teenager for a while- you’re gonna be twenty soon!” Toph grinned, “Feeling old yet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spirits Toph, don’t remind me,” Zuko groaned, “I feel-” as he spoke, Zuko was suddenly overcome with nausea, and he rushed to the window. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck, Zuko! If you’ve been poisoned I am not putting my finger down your throat to save you!” Toph yelled, rushing over to him. Zuko retched a few more times, and as quickly as it had come, the nausea was gone, but something else had taken its place; the feeling of a hook in his stomach- sharp and tugging him towards the mountains on Sumer Island</span>
  <span>- just north of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh. I’m fine now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess I never asked how you were doing, really,” Toph admitted, guiding Zuko back to the couch and passing him a water flask from her bag. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m… I’m ok. I feel awful for Aang. He just got back on his feet after Bumi, and then he had to deal with me falling to pieces.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nobody blames you-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know!” Zuko snapped, and then sighed, “I know. But I blame myself. And I know Sokka is…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’ll be fine. I was with him until two days ago, and Mai and Ty Lee are there now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry you had to take care of him alone. I should have been there- </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> should have been there- me and Aang.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s ok, Zuko. We weren’t about to ask Aang to leave you after a fucking assassination attempt, and you needed to be there to calm the rebels. Plus, you just spent a few months taking care of a grieving person, I wasn’t going to force you to come deal with another one.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s weirdly compassionate,” Zuko teased, “How was Sokka, when you left?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Better. Ok.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How are you?” Zuko turned to face her, watching her blank eyes well up, “I’m sorry I didn’t-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know how it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Zuko prompted gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When you can’t have someone you love.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Zuko gasped at her, and she smiled a little. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s hard to be there for someone when they need you, if you need </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> in a different way than they’re willing to give.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re… Sokka?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Both of them, really.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whoa.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a secret, Sparky.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Suki was like, everything I wanted to be, but better. More compassionate, more easy to love. Beautiful- or so I heard.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She was,” Zuko said quietly, “In every way. But you are too, Toph. Not that it matters, because you’ve always been more than just pretty.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think anyone has ever called me pretty except Katara,” Toph laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And Suki,” the blind girl sighed, and rested her head in her hands, “Suki used to tell me all the time; how could I not fall in love with someone so strong, so loving, and so… kind?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I get it,” Zuko said, patting her knee gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I had come to terms with it, you know? That they were in love with each other and I was in love with both of them and that’s just how it was going to be. But then she died and I had to spend all that time with him, pretending I was ok with not being able to stay with him through the night, or do any of that cutesy shit that I wanted to do to make him feel ok. And the whole time I had to pretend that I was just grieving my friend, not the woman I was in love with...” Toph took a deep breath, and Zuko started to make up some kind of reassurance, but she kept speaking: “It’s ok though, I’m going to be fine. I’m used to that feeling, and I’m pretty sure that neither of them were </span>
  <em>
    <span>it</span>
  </em>
  <span> for me. I’m going to find other people. And sixteen is </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> too young to be worried about all that feelings crap anyways. Nobody is depending on me to have a partner, or a kid, or whatever.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko looked at her carefully, wondering where she was going with this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You, on the other hand.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve got yourself in a bit of a rock-and-a-hard-place situation,” Toph mused, and Zuko shifted uncomfortably. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You love him, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you talking about, Toph?” Zuko was getting frustrated- this was almost as bad as talking to his Uncle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you both need to have kids, and you know that Katara is still waiting for him and that there are hundreds of other powerful women out there that could give him everything he needs, plus youth and beauty and a family that you just don’t have.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toph, seriously, what are you talking about?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang, idiot,” Toph groaned, cuffing Zuko around the back of the head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did- that’s not- I’m not that old!” Zuko stammered, trying to find the right words to protest, or to ask her how she knew. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Teasing, Sparky. It’s ok if you didn’t know yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I…” He hadn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> known. Of course he’d noticed how Aang had become his shadow- or he had become Aangs. He just hadn’t admitted that the avatar's absence physically ached. That his presence ached, too, just… differently. He was pondering this, when the sharp pain in his abdomen flared, and his veins suddenly felt as though they had been lit on fire. “Spirits fucking- Ouch!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Toph leapt to her feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something is- it’s like it’s pulling my insides out!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure you haven’t been poisoned?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve only eaten what you’ve eaten for the last few days!” Zuko protested, also standing, and stumbling to lean against the wall. The pain subsided very slightly, and Zuko looked towards the mountains on the island just north of Ember Island.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toph, this is going to sound crazy, but we need to go north. I think something </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> pulling me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Last time I checked, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aang</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the spirit nonsense guy, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> were nice and normal.” Toph drawled, but she grabbed their bags and half dragged, half carried Zuko out of the house.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took them almost all afternoon and most of the night to get to Sumer Island on the eelhounds, but when they reached the base of the mountains, Zuko no longer felt like he was going to vomit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s like, nothing out here,” Toph yawned, and Zuko was about to agree, but then he remembered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No… The sun warriors civilization is just up that mountain.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Those ancient fire dudes? With the dancing dragons?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Zuko didn’t bother to try and convince Toph that the dragons themselves didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> dance, or that the </span>
  <em>
    <span>civilization</span>
  </em>
  <span> was ancient but the people were not.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well do you think that’s what's pulling on your intestines?” Toph asked, tossing the eelhounds some fish.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sleep now, super old sun guys tomorrow.” Toph yawned again, jamming a heel into the dirt and creating a large earth tent. Zuko unraveled his bedroll inside and collapsed, careful to keep his back to Toph- she kicked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko was an early riser by nature, but Toph took some coaxing to wake up before ten in the morning. Eventually they had packed up their camp and were well on their way to the sun warriors temple. They left the eelhounds at the bottom of the mountain, and continued on foot, Toph steering them around the traps that Zuko didn’t remember. Finally they arrived at the gate, and Zuko removed one of his swords from its sheath, angling the light onto the sunstone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatcha doing, Sparky?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tricking the sunstone. It only opens on the solstice, but with the right angle… there!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This place is insane!” Toph marveled, moving her feet around the rock once they stopped to rest inside the gate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s pretty impressive,” Zuko agreed, then half-collapsed as a wave of pain hit him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko!” Toph cried, and he fell into her, causing her to stumble back under his weight. Another tremor raked through him as the pain increased, and everything went black. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While Zuko was unconscious, the Sun Warriors emerged from their hiding places, and Toph was left to explain the situation. The Sun Warriors informed her that an egg belonging to the last two dragons in the world was about to hatch, and clearly, one or both of the dragons had imprinted on Zuko when he had last been at the temple, making him the hatchlings caretaker. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were smart to bring him now. If he had not come close enough to feel the pull, the baby dragon would likely die. If he had felt the pull, but not followed it, it might have killed both of them.” One of the warriors said grimly, slinging Zuko over his broad shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure,” Toph sighed, “That’s me, spiritual advisor Toph.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> a spiritual advisor? At such a young age?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Toph sighed, and followed the Warriors to the caves of the Masters. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko was beginning to wake up at this point, and had a brief moment of panic as he was deposited at the foot of the stairs. At the top of the steps, Ran and Shaw were swirling in their lovely dance, and between them, sat the egg. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s happening? Is that an </span>
  <em>
    <span>egg</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Zuko yelped, looking around at the chanters and at Toph, who shrugged and nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Apparently it’s yours. The dragons, like, marked you, or something, because they want you to take care of it, I guess.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me?” Zuko gasped. The pain was nearly gone now, just a slight tug in his gut. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well nobody else is passing out from some kind of weird spiritual dragon bond around here, so yeah.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I go up there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t fucking know,” Toph shook her head in annoyance, “It’s your dragon baby, do you feel like you should go up there?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Kinda,” Zuko stood, and turned to face the steps. The climb up was both far longer and far shorter than it had been the first time he had come here, and he couldn’t help but wish Aang could be there to see this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toph, come on!” He called when he saw the earth bender still on the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think you’d better do this alone!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want you to come,” Zuko replied, wincing at the slight whine in his voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine,” Toph sighed, and catapulted herself onto the staircase beside him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You couldn’t just shoot us both up there with earthbending?” Zuko grumbled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t wanna scare the dragons. I can’t see them, but they feel big.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re big,” Zuko admitted, watching them swirl around each other, “One is red- well. One is like my fire, or Aangs. Warm and… sort of intense. The other is like Azula’s fire, cooler and shaper. And they’re flying around the bridges that you can see like this,” Zuko turned around on the steps and grabbed Toph’s arms, tracing the shapes of the dragons with her hands. “They move like Katara when she waterbends, or like great, flying snakes. The sun is right above them, and it’s casting really long shadows on the ground near them, like another pair of dragons are moving below them.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You…” Zuko turned, to see that Toph had stopped, face blown open in surprise. “No one has ever tried to </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> for me like that before. Especially in a way that I would understand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well sometimes people tell me things, like that green looks good on me, and so does red, or that the sunset is golden or the sky is blue, but that doesn’t really mean anything to me. I was born blind, I don’t know what colours are, or what it means to be bright or sparkly.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Zuko said slowly, not sure how to reply. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toph started, and began to walk more quickly up the steps, “Hurry up, Sparky, it’s hatching!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko started up the stairs at a run, skipping steps and stumbling to the top. The two dragons had stopped dancing, and were facing the egg, which had begun to crack and shatter. Zuko knew what happened next, so he grabbed Toph and dragged her between him and the baby, shielding her; soon, they were surrounded by the vortex of colourful flames. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a lot of fire, isn’t it?” Toph said quietly, and Zuko nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s got every colour in it- warm fire like mine, cool lightning like Azula’s, fire that’s like the way the sun feels when it’s setting after a hot day, fire that’s like the incense Uncle burns at his shop- the one that smells like jasmine. Some that’s like burning green wood, or grass.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Watch your dragon, Zuko,” Toph grinned, and Zuko looked down at the egg. A tiny red claw was poking out of a crack in it’s dark blue shell, and suddenly, the baby dragon crashed it’s head through the shell, tumbling out in a mess of red scales and leathery wings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whoa,” said Toph, kneeling down in front of it. The little dragon sneezed, shooting a tiny flame from its nostrils, and looked up at Zuko. His chest tightened, and he reached down to touch it without really thinking. The dragon crawled trustingly onto his arm, up his shoulder, and settled in a coil around his neck. The instant its nose had touched his palm, the two adult dragons had stopped their onslaught of flame, and Zuko turned, bowing to each. They regarded him carefully, then whirled away, back into their caves. As the blue dragon’s head rushed past him, he heard someone say ‘Druk’. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Druk,” Zuko whispered, and the little dragon on his shoulder nudged it’s head into him affectionately. He felt better than he had in months- whole again, as if whatever it was that had hollowed him out (grief, he supposed, and shock) was finally retreating.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cool name,” Toph said, reaching out a hand to the dragon. It sniffed her carefully, before allowing her to scratch its chin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, guys,” Zuko said, smiling at Toph, who was beaming as the baby dragon gently chewed her fingers, “Let’s go home.”</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Present Day</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I’m still kind of sad I didn’t get to see Druk being born.” Aang admitted, leaning into Zuko’s shoulder and looking over to where Druk was flying loops above Appa. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too. But the Sun Warriors told me there’s more eggs, and they’re just waiting for the right time to let them hatch. Once construction is finished on the nursery, I can start an initiative to teach people how to raise them.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do all dragons imprint on people? Like you and Druk?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fairly uncommon actually, usually it’s only people that are extremely powerful, so I don’t know why I was chosen-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko,” Aang rolled his eyes, “Have you seen yourself? You’re one of the most powerful benders I know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a lie. What about Katara? Or Toph?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, Toph is insanely powerful too, and so is Katara, but you… you kind of... resonate with it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh. Weird.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So… wanna see if all that power can win a sparring match with the avatar?” Aang laughed, leaping to his feet and offering Zuko his hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m willing to bet it can, since the avatar might be a little sore,” Zuko smirked, and Aang hit him across the ribs with a forearm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t mean I can’t kick your ass.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko grabbed the younger man's hands and allowed himself to be dragged to his feet. They trained for an hour or so, running through the familiar exercises together, laughing and playing, striking teasingly and wrestling each other to the ground at intervals. They really did have sex on the floor this time.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Three months later</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Despite being Zuko’s closest friend and one of his most powerful allies, Sokka rarely visited the Fire Nation capital. This wasn’t for lack of trying, but it wasn’t exactly a quick journey from the South Pole, where he now spent most of his time. Although he had spent significantly more time in the Fire Nation when Suki was working as a guard for Zuko after the comet, he found himself caught up more and more often with his work in the South now, and he worried that once his father stepped down as Chief, he would have even less time to spend with the Firelord. He sent Hawky to Zuko about a month before his departure to the Fire Nation, and was assured with a very enthusiastic letter that Zuko would have a room ready for him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It always shocked Sokka how truly massive the palace was, but somehow, with Zuko on the throne, it felt strangely homey. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko?” He called, wandering down the hallway leading to the throne room, “I mean- Mr Firelord, Sir, your Fireyness?”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s so much worse than just calling me Zuko,” said a voice from behind the doors that separated Sokka from the throne room, and Zuko opened the heavy doors just enough to pull Sokka through the archway and into a tight hug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, jerk.” Sokka grinned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey. How was the trip?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh you know, long, watery.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, of course,” Zuko nodded solemnly. Sokka took a look around the throne room, which was no longer dark and weird, with a wall of fire hiding the throne. Zuko had restored it to its original design, from back when his Grandfather Sozin had held the throne. The pillars that had been painted over in black were gold and red now, and the dark curtains that had covered the windows had been removed, allowing the intricately detailed wrought iron bars over the windows to create dancing shadows on the walls. Zuko had done away with the wall of fire that his father had sat behind, replacing the throne with a simple chair.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t you supposed to sit behind a wall of flames and like, beckon me in?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you ever known me to beckon anyone in my life?” Zuko clapped a hand on Sokka’s broad shoulder. “I hated that seat, I had it replaced with a normal seat the minute the Fire Sages decided to be reasonable about it. Still, I think I’ve only sat there for more than twenty minutes maybe... four times since I became Firelord.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s much nicer, but still pretty intimidating,” Sokka nodded, stepping back to look around the room for Druk. “Where’s my favourite nephew?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko snorted, “Probably off with Aang and Appa somewhere. We had a long ass meeting today and the two of them are terrible at sitting still. Poor Appa.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka laughed, and ducked back through the curtain, holding it open for Zuko. “Shall we go find them, or have a cup of tea and talk about man stuff while the kids play?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tea sounds great. Agni knows I’ve seen enough of Aang fidgeting in a chair today. He needs to run around after Druk for a while before he’ll be ready to visit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka nodded, and followed Zuko towards the dining room. He looked up at the wall of Firelord’s portraits, and was struck by the difference between them and the man in front of him. Zuko had forgone the traditional Firelord robes almost directly after his coronation, opting instead for a simple shirt and trousers, and placed his traditional cape and collar over that. He tied all of his hair into a knot, as opposed to his predecessors, who had opted to let half of it fall long around their faces. Zuko had scoffed at the impracticality of this when one of the Fire Sages suggested the traditional style to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, I have some news,” Sokka told his friend when they were both settled with their tea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As do I,” Zuko smiled, “But you go first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not going to like most of it,” Sokka grimaced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course I’m not.” Zuko rolled his eyes. “Never a moment's peace.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, never!” Sokka laughed. “Well, firstly, there are rumors springing up all around the Earth Kingdom of another rebellion, calling themselves the Red Lotus.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What chaos are they supporting?” Zuko sighed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, literal chaos, actually. They’re presenting as an antithesis to the White Lotus, claiming that anarchy is the natural order of the world and that there should be no nations at all- which is sound theory and honestly not a terrible idea, it’s just the way they are proposing achieving a world without nation borders is sort of… well. They’re supporting the annihilation of world leaders, essentially.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great, </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> people who want me dead,” Zuko snorted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re not posing a serious threat right now, but we should keep an eye on them,” Sokka grinned. “Thankfully, since we arrested Guan Yin, the Phoenix Order</span>
  <span> has lost nearly all of their following. You probably knew that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did, but it’s always good to be reminded of successful quashings of my fathers supporters,” Zuko told Sokka, taking a sip of his tea. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh and I’ve adopted a polar bear dog. Her name is Fuku and she’s outside eating your fireplums.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko’s eyes widened, and he nearly spat out his tea, “You did what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka grinned, and reached over to open the nearby window. With a shrill whistle, a giant white dog came bounding over, and thrust its head through the window to sniff Zuko, before slurping the plate of tea biscuits into its mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Her name… she- why didn’t you lead with that?” Zuko asked weakly, patting the dog's gigantic nose as Sokka shrieked with laughter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who’s polar bear dog is this? I love her!” shouted a voice from outside, and Aang crawled through another window, tumbling gracelessly into the room and grinning widely at Fuku before spotting Sokka. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sokka! Zuko didn’t tell me you were coming!” Aang yelled, leaping into Sokka’s arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Surprise!” Zuko grinned, snatching his tea out of Fuku’s reach. “What kind of name is Fuku, Sokka?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well Toph said I couldn’t call her Fu-fu Cuddly-Poops Two, so I went with Fu-fu Cuddly-Poops the Second, Fuku for short.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fu… Fu-fu what now?” Zuko gasped, looking between Sokka and Aang desperately. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh man! You haven’t heard that story? That’s a great story!” Sokka exclaimed once he was done laughing, and launched into the tale. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They were all relaxing in the formal sitting room after dinner, which had its own patio area and was the only sitting room large enough for the menagerie of animals they had between them. Fuku had settled beside Sokka’s armchair, gnawing on a bone Zuko had procured her from the kitchen. Appa was out on the patio, peacefully munching on some dried clover. Druk had settled himself in a coil at Zuko’s feet, warily watching Fuku and gently swatting at Momo every so often as the lemur played with the end of his tail. Aang, Sokka and Zuko were hours into discussions about Republic City, and possible locations that would benefit most from becoming neutral ground. Eventually the talk lulled to idle chatter about their day to day lives, and Aang -who was sitting beside Zuko on a small sofa- drifted off to sleep, leaning on Zuko’s shoulder and drooling on his silk shirt. Zuko had removed his shoulder guards earlier that evening, and both he and Sokka had lost their boots somewhere between dinner and dessert. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tired themselves out, huh?” Sokka laughed quietly, nodding to Aang, and then Druk, whose eyes were drooping. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good thing, too. I can never get either of them to sleep at a regular hour,” Zuko replied softly, mindlessly wrapping his arm around Aang's shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko, I’ve been thinking. I’d be a lot more comfortable if you’d invite the Kyoshi Warriors back to protect you. I know you have the royal fire benders or whatever, but with this Red Lotus threat and having seen no activity from the Phoenix Order in so long… Well. I don’t know. I know Toph or Aang is here usually, but if you’re ever on your own…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not asking them back after what happened to Suki,” Zuko said firmly, not meeting Sokka’s eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Suki knew what she was getting into. That’s their job, Zuko. And Mai and Ty Lee love you- Suki did too. They want to know you’re safe as well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not helpless!” Zuko protested, and Sokka rolled his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, Zuko, but sometimes it’s better to be safe than sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about you? Shouldn’t you have protection?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not Chief yet, nobody is trying to take me out. Besides, the Southern Water Tribe is hardly the diplomatic and militaristic force that the Fire Nation is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Sokka.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not your fucking fault. Stop blaming yourself,” Sokka sighed, “I learned the hard way that there’s no point doing that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You lost both of your loves to the Fire Nation, Sokka, and your mother. There’s no coming back from that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I lost both of my loves to duty, and to their own responsibility to the world. I’m proud of them; I’m proud of all three of them. And if there’s anything I’ve learned from all that loss, it’s that when you love something, or someone, you have to hold onto them with every fiber of your being, because you never know how long you have,” Sokka leaned down and scratched the top of Fukus head. Her tail thumped gently on the floor, and both men smiled at her. “That’s why I’m here, I guess. Because you’re someone I love, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw, Sokka,” Zuko grinned and Sokka rolled his eyes, propping his feet up on the coffee table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re the only one that eats my seal jerky! If that doesn’t make us surrogate brothers I don’t know what does.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, Druk eats your seal jerky,” Zuko said, looking away to hide his smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko! NO! This is the ultimate betrayal!” Sokka cried, sitting upright, and Zuko shook with silent laughter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m kidding.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You asshole!” Sokka laughed, leaning back into his armchair. “You said you had news?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yeah. I wanted to tell you first- I mean, Toph knows because it’s-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Absolutely impossible to hide anything from her? I know. Try having a sex life when she’s living with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why do you think her wing is on the opposite side of the palace than mine?” Zuko joked. “And what’s this about a sex life? Have you got a new girlfriend I haven’t heard about?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka shook his head, flushing slightly, “Not exactly. More like a girl friend who I just happened to sleep with a few times. But it’s done now, we decided we didn’t want anything more out of it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too bad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You win some, you lose some,” Sokka shrugged, and Aang shifted in Zuko’s grip, head dropping forward slightly. Zuko frowned, and readjusted his grip so that the younger man’s head rested in the crook of his neck. When he looked up, Sokka was smiling warmly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your news?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, yeah. Well, we haven’t told anyone except Toph, but Aang and I are… well, we’re…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two finally got your shit together and now I get to sleep in Aang's room when I come visit?” Sokka grinned mischievously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko chuckled, relieved, “Yeah, exactly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Congratulations, buddy. Who made the first move?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang, actually,” Zuko admitted, face warming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I knew it!” Sokka cried. “Are you going to tell Iroh soon?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah… I think so.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And… Katara?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko shifted uncomfortably, “We haven’t talked about that yet. I know she’s still sort of expecting Aang to come back to her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sokka nodded sympathetically, “I’m here to help if you guys want it. For when you tell her- or for anything! But you knew that! Anyways, I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>honoured</span>
  </em>
  <span> that you told me first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha. Ha,” Zuko deadpanned as Sokka snickered. “Of course I told you,” Zuko smiled. “You’re my best friend,” he finished shyly, and Sokka chuckled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course I am. Who else is going to share delicious seal jerky with you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“True.” Zuko rolled his eyes.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or help you carry this idiot to bed?” Sokka gestured at the sleeping avatar, before groaning and stretching out of his armchair. Zuko snorted, warmth filling his chest as he looked around at his bizarre little family. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sumer Island is a reference to an area of ancient Mesopotamia, upon which the Sun Warriors Civilisation is based. Sumer is the earliest known city in the civilisation, and is now part of Northern Iraq.  </p>
<p>The Phoenix Order is a reference to the New Ozai Supporters of the Dark Horse Comics. I didn’t read the comics out of pure spite because I thought they were too expensive, but I have read the Wikipedia plot summaries and have accounted for some of the events in them accordingly. I just thought my name for Ozai’s Supporters was better (sorry not sorry).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You can't indent on here and it really pisses me off. Thank you for your time. Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Sokka gave me a shovel talk,” Aang said the next evening, when they were laying in bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sokka gave </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> a shovel talk?” Zuko repeated, shocked. “About </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, about Fuku. Obviously about you, idiot.” Aang giggled, pressing his hand to the scar between Zuko’s ribs. Zuko rested his own hand over the Avatars, and shook his head slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s so… Sokka.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah that’s what I thought.” Aang’s laugh rumbled against Zuko’s back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are we… when are we going to tell Katara?” Zuko asked tentatively. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-” Aang stopped the gentle movement of his thumb over Zuko’s skin. Zuko almost held his breath, but forced himself to keep it even. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Aang sighed into his hair, and Zuko shivered. “I don’t know. Not for a while. I should talk to her, I think, before we do. Just so she knows that it’s never going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>us</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And then maybe we can tell her together the next time she comes to visit.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Ok.” Zuko rolled over to face Aang, cupping his face in his hand. Aang smiled, and Zuko felt a rush of pure joy flow through him, so he pulled Aang close and gently traced his tattoos down the back of his neck to his waist with his fingers. “I love you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I love you, too.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Two Months Later</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Katara showed up out of the blue, as usual, and despite this, Zuko welcomed her into the empty palace gratefully. With Toph and Sokka negotiating with the brand new Earth Queen in Ba Sing Se, and Aang back at the Southern Air Temple, the vast halls were starting to feel quite lonely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you found time to come visit, what with your school being such a success,” Zuko remarked over dinner a few nights after she arrived. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, my students will be fine without me for a couple weeks- I left Master Paku and Gran-gran in charge. They’ve been visiting for a few months. It’ll be their last trip up north and I thought it might be nice for Master Paku to get to teach a little while he’s there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s very thoughtful of you,” Zuko smiled, and Katara grinned back. Their relationship had never really solidified in the way that Zuko’s friendship with Toph, Sokka and Aang had. Despite their ‘bonding field trip’ to confront Katara’s mother's murderer, and having fought Azula together, Zuko still felt that Katara was wary of him. The incident with the Harmony Restoration Movement had definitely shaken her already tentative trust in him, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that she still disliked him, deep down, but simply had no reason to express that outwardly anymore. However, it was nice of her to keep him company, and he appreciated her caring presence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyways, I needed a break, and Aang said he wanted to come see me after he was done at the Eastern Air Temple, only I knew he’d stop here first, so I thought I’d surprise him by meeting him halfway and get to visit you all in one trip!” Katara explained happily, and Zuko squirmed. He knew why Aang was going to visit Katara, and it likely wasn’t the reason she was expecting. He thought back to the weeks after the solar eclipse, when he had first joined their group. Aang had told him once that he had kissed Katara before the invasion started, and that she had never acknowledged it- had even brushed him off slightly for weeks afterwards. Aang chalked it up to them being kids, and Katara being shy, and Zuko privately agreed with him, but he couldn’t help but be grateful that the cold shoulder she had given the airbender had provided him with time to reconsider their relationship, and decide against it before the comet came. He tried not to wonder about what might have happened if Aang hadn’t bothered to truly examine his feelings for her, or if she had reciprocated more enthusiastically. Still, he felt guilty lying to her, and he knew that despite her somewhat indifferent treatment of Aang romantically, she still loved the avatar, and expected him to love her back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How is your grandmother?” Zuko asked, realizing that Sokka had said very little about the feisty old woman when he had visited. Katara looked down at her plate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s… well, she’s slowing down, for sure. Paku takes good care of her, and she’s tough, but she’s eighty years old now and she’s-” The younger woman broke off, and Zuko walked over to wrap her into a hug, which she gladly reciprocated. Zuko hadn’t been a hugger before he met Katara, but the way her embraces made him feel safe and cared for had made an impact, and now he tried to provide hugs freely amongst his closest friends- except Toph, who preferred a firm pat on the back to any prolonged contact. Zuko could respect that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s not well, Zuko. I can feel it. She asked for a healing session for some abdominal pain and I… I couldn’t fix whatever was wrong with her. I could ease it, slow it, but illnesses at a cellular level are beyond my skill.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Katara, the fact that you could even </span>
  <em>
    <span>slow</span>
  </em>
  <span> a complex illness in such an old woman is tremendous. She must be very proud,” Zuko said, patting Katara’s back awkwardly and returning to his seat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Katara sighed. “And thank you for feeding me so well. It’s nice to not have to cook for once.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m glad you enjoyed it! I slaved over it for hours,” Zuko joked, and Katara flicked a lettuce leaf across the table at him. It flew at his face and Zuko ducked to avoid it, but when he lifted his head Katara was in near tears from laughing. Zuko reached up and found the lettuce leaf had caught on his crown and was dangling ridiculously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, shut up!” He laughed, tossing the offending vegetable back across the table at her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko spent the next few days in meetings and conferences with various officials from the four nations, and the evenings touring Katara around the city, or sharing stories and tea in the palace. The day before Aang was due to return, Katara had ventured out alone to see if she could find some souvenirs for Kanna and Paku, and Zuko was taking the afternoon off to attempt to persuade Druk to allow him to sit on his back. At almost three years old, the dragon was now nearly fully grown, and extensive reading had assured Zuko that it was now safe to train him to be ridden, but Druk seemed reluctant to give up his life of being a lapdog. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Druk, I’m not even trying to go anywhere, I just want to sit!” Zuko grumbled, coaxing the dragon back to a crouch. Druk stayed still for a moment, then caught sight of his own tail, and rumbled excitedly, twisting and turning to catch it, and knocking Zuko to the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Looks like you two are having a fun afternoon,” a teasing voice said from behind him, and Zuko craned his neck to see Aang standing behind him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re home early!” Zuko grinned, taking the avatars proffered hand and allowing himself to be pulled in for a tight hug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Appa missed you,” Aang mumbled against his collar, and Zuko snorted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I’d better go say hello to Appa, then.” He pulled away from Aang and made to walk towards the stables, only to be pulled back by the airbender with a groan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Smartass,” Aang shook his head and tilted Zuko’s chin, kissing him thoroughly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I missed you,” Zuko murmured against Aang’s lips, and was rewarded for his honesty with a small smile, and the avatar’s hands flitted around his waist before pulling him in tightly by the small of his back and the bottom of his scapula. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko? Are you here? I swear I just saw-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck.” Zuko hissed as Aang pulled away, looking past his yellow clad shoulders at Katara’s stricken face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Katara?” Aang looked at Zuko, wide-eyed, then back at Katara, who’s expression had gone cold and guarded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll talk to you later, Zuko, Aang,” she said cooly, before marching away.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t know-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I forgot to mention-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll go-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should talk to her- I’m sorry, Aang,” Zuko looked pleadingly at the younger man, who simply shook his head, pressed a kiss to Zuko’s brow, and followed Katara into the house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you put my bag in our room, please? And no peeking!” Aang called over his shoulder as he hurried away. Zuko exhaled in relief, feeling gratitude for Aang wash over him. He knew Aang, of all people, would stand a chance at salvaging their relationship with Katara- he just hoped she wouldn’t be too furious with the airbender. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aang wasn’t sure what to say to Katara when he caught up with her, so he opted for just calling her name until she turned around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, Katara, we didn’t even get to say hello yet! You didn’t tell me you were coming!” Aang panted, and Katara fixed him with her patented disappointed glare. Aang felt shame crawling into his cheeks, and looked down at his feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well you didn’t tell me you were fucking...</span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking</span>
  </em>
  <span> Zuko!” she snapped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> fucking him- I mean- wait, no-” Aang backpedled desperatly as Katara’s eyes widened. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell me? And why Zuko? Sokka was here with both of you a month ago, did you tell him? Toph practically lives here half the time so she must know. What about Iroh? Have you told him? And Mai and Ty Lee? I’m assuming that with them back on active duty here in the city they’ve heard the happy news!” Katara spat wildly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Katara, please! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I just-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not even that I’m angry that you’re with him, Aang, I’m just upset you didn’t think you could trust me with this!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not why-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you know what? I actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> angry that you’re with him! I am! Because I was under the impression that you wanted me to </span>
  <em>
    <span>wait</span>
  </em>
  <span> for you! And I was willing to do that! I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing that!” Katara threw a hand into the air, and the water in the fountain just outside the window jumped. Aang cast a worried glance at it, and turned his attention back to his friend. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Katara- we were kids! And you-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> try to make this </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> fault, Aang! You totally blindsided me, and you didn’t even have the decency to tell me first, even though you </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> I was waiting for you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Katara please let me explain!” Aang pleaded desperately, trying not to raise his voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, sure, why not. I’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> to know how you’re going to try to explain yourself out of this one!” Katara snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang sighed, and gestured to the bench on the patio outside. Katara glared, but followed him out wordlessly and sat down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko and I have been together for five months. We haven’t made it public because we know that the people of the Fire Nation are going to have a lot of questions that we haven’t really figured out the answers to yet, and so is the rest of the world- especially those concerned with the recovery of the Air Nomad population,” Aang said calmly, and Katara pursed her lips as if she was trying to refrain from commenting. “Toph knew pretty much right away. Actually, I think she knew before we did, and we told Iroh a few weeks ago when he came to visit. Zuko wanted to tell Sokka when he came to visit, and I said ok, but I also said I wanted to talk to you, first, because I knew it would be… difficult if we just sprang it on you like- well, like how we’ve just sprung it on you. That’s why I was coming to visit you at the North Pole. To tell you that you shouldn’t wait for me anymore, that I didn’t think we were ever really supposed to be together. I’m sorry. I know I should have told you I just- I was nervous, so I tried to avoid it. Like always.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Katara shook her head angrily, “I thought… Aang I thought you were coming to </span>
  <em>
    <span>propose</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Or at least to ask me to be your girlfriend!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Katara. I feel really badly, and I hate that you had to find out this way,” Aang watched Katara’s expression change from anger to disappointment to sorrow and back to anger out of the corner of his eye.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh.” Katara shook her head again and stood up. “Well, I’m still pissed off, Aang, but I appreciate that this wasn’t the way you intended on telling me. If you need to… get this out of your system or whatever-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Katara!” Aang jumped to his feet, eyes blazing, forgetting his promise to himself that he wouldn’t raise his voice at her. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> Zuko! I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>in love</span>
  </em>
  <span> with Zuko! This isn’t something I’m going to ‘get out of my system’, and it’s kind of fucked up that you would even suggest that!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just think you’re awfully young to be deciding that he’s what you want for the rest of your life!” Katara said, walking back towards the palace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well that’s a bit hypocritical, isn’t it,” Aang snapped. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever, Aang. It’s nice to know that after six years of friendship you still don’t really trust me.” Katara stalked away, and Aang sank back onto the bench, holding his head in his hands. He listened as she walked down the hall, and heard her stop suddenly. Zuko’s voice cut through the birdsong, and dread coiled in Aang’s chest like a venomous snake, poised to strike. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Katara? I’m so sorry-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait a few years, Zuko, until he realizes that you can’t give him </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> he actually needs. When he figures out that he needs to have kids? Or that being with you is impossible while maintaining neutrality? It’ll be </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> over. This is the most </span>
  <em>
    <span>selfish</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing either of you have ever done, and Aang’s going to realize that, too, even if you don’t. And don’t come crying to me when he does.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Zuko spat, and Aang groaned, listening to Katara’s footsteps clicking away down the hall. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s wrong, you know,” Aang said that night, after Katara had left in a fury to stay with Toph in Ba Sing Se. He walked into their bedroom and pulled Zuko’s hands away from his own hair, gently removing his gold crown and placing it on the vanity table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Zuko said sleepily, leaning into Aang’s touch as the avatar gently pried the pins from his topknot and unwound the ribbon keeping it in place. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Katara. I heard what she said to you before she left today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” Zuko looked down, away from Aang’s face watching him through the mirror, and fiddled with the tie on his sleep pants. “I’m sorry you heard that- I’m sure she didn’t mean it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well even if she did, she’s wrong,” Aang insisted, running his fingers through Zuko’s hair and listening to the Firelord’s breathing as it evened and deepened. “I’ve already been thinking about the kids problem, and having a surrogate mother is definitely an option if we can find a healer who’s capable of doing the procedure. And as far as political neutrality goes, every avatar in history has had a deep connection to their base element, so really no avatar has been totally politically neutral, and it’s not like I’m just going to adopt your politics because we’re together- we’re a team, not the same person. And teams don’t always agree on everything but they work together to figure out what’s best and-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang,” Zuko huffed, reaching up and grabbing Aang’s wrist. “I’m not worried about any of that. I know we’ll figure it out when the time comes. I trust you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry that she spoke to you like that.” Aang stepped around to stand between Zuko’s legs, leaning down so he was a little closer to level with the seated firebender. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Zuko shook his head, wrapping his hands around the backs of Aang’s thighs and rubbing gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re trying to distract me,” Aang scolded, and Zuko grinned up at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that a problem?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang sighed, frowning down at him, before rolling his eyes and grabbing Zuko’s forearms, dragging him to his feet. “No.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko snorted, and pulled Aang’s arms around his neck, kissing his nose, then his jaw and throat. He returned his hands to Aang’s thighs and pulled the airbenders legs around his waist, carrying him to their neatly made bed and depositing him in the center of the soft blankets. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s up with you?” Aang laughed as Zuko stepped back and deftly removed his trousers and shirt, abandoning them in a pile on the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Zuko was working on the buttons of Aang’s shirt now, and Aang reached down to help him, still giggling slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re acting weird. You’re never this… needy.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s been a long six weeks,” Zuko complained, pulling Aang’s legs back around his torso and pressing his lips back to the younger man's neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure nothing’s wrong?” Aang gasped, combing his hands through Zuko’s hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Shush, Aang, everything’s... perfect.” Zuko reached for Aang’s hips, discarding his underclothes unceremoniously, and then Aang was too busy with the feeling of the Firelord's hands and mouth to bother arguing anymore. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Aang was a determined post-sex snuggler. He wrapped himself tightly around Zuko no matter how sticky and sweaty they were and pressed gentle kisses to his face, ran his fingers through his hair and murmured nonsensical endearments against Zuko’s skin for at least half an hour. Zuko usually laid with him complacently, tracing the airbenders tattoos with calloused fingers and enjoying Aang’s presence, but today he rolled out of bed before Aang could grab him, pulled on a dressing gown, and went to stand by the window.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See, something is wrong!” Aang pouted, sitting up and watching Zuko as he flicked the curtains open and started out at the dark courtyard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing’s wrong, Aang, I just… I fucked up. Katara actually seemed to be enjoying spending time with me this time, and she’s your best friend and I wasn’t conscientious of her at all, and now look what’s happened.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko,” Aang groaned, leaning back against the headboard. “Come back to bed. Katara will figure it out. It’s my fault, really. I was avoiding her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if she doesn’t ‘figure it out’ though?” Zuko snapped angrily, and Aang flinched; he hadn’t been on the receiving end of Zuko’s sharp temper in a long time, and he didn’t want to be now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well the others are fine with it, so she’ll have to get used to it.” Aang shrugged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if she’s right? What if this </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> just too selfish?”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I knew it! She </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> get to you!” Aang grumbled, and Zuko turned to frown at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s not wrong, though.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I’m a monk.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Zuko scoffed, turning to face Aang and crossing his arms over his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m a monk! I’ve done like… two selfish things in my life! And I promised myself after the last time I ran away that I would never do anything selfish again. So.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang could hear the trepidation in Zuko’s voice, and realized that he hadn’t exactly been clear with his statement. “So, I love you, and I want to be with you, and I don’t think that’s selfish at all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko sighed, and Aang waited for a moment before continuing.“Y’know what the monks said? They told us that the only way to find true spiritual peace was to love freely, and allow yourself to love whomever and however you needed to. And Guru Pathik said that things like guilt or regret would block your chakras and tie you to the physical world, so you would never find true peace. Guilt and regret are </span>
  <em>
    <span>born</span>
  </em>
  <span> from denying yourself things, Zuko.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought the monks told you to be content with what you have?” Zuko said, confused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang pondered this for a moment before replying carefully, “They told us not to ask for more than what we had, but to take everything we were freely given and appreciate it fully.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko stood still for a moment, fussing with the edge or the curtain. Finally, his shoulders relaxed and he exhaled. “Fine. You’re right-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I get that on record?” Aang laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko rolled his eyes, “You’re almost</span>
  <em>
    <span> always</span>
  </em>
  <span> right, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Avatar</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I shouldn’t overthink this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See! Not so selfish,” Aang insisted, “And stop calling me-”</span>
</p>
<p><span>“See, now I don’t know about you only having done two selfish things,” Zuko interrupted, turning to face Aang with a mischievous glint in his eye, “because I can think of </span><em><span>at</span></em> <em><span>least</span></em><span> a few times when you’ve fallen asleep before-”</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Aang exploded with laughter, and was gratified to hear a low chuckle from Zuko after a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come back to bed, Lord Zuko,” Aang said, teasingly, but soft, once he had caught his breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko knit his eyebrows together, “You’ve never called me that before,” he said with a quizzical smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just reminding you that you are actually the leader of an entire nation, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’ve got the avatar wrapped around your finger, so you can pretty much do whatever you want.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Interesting choice of words regarding my fingers,” Zuko smirked, “But not a bad idea.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The things that make you horny are so bizarre,” Aang mumbled, and Zuko snorted, untying his robe and climbing back into bed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you think about your sister as a surrogate?” Aang asked one morning a few weeks later, lounging on their bed and throwing lychee nuts up into the air for Momo. Zuko was sitting on the small sofa in their room, reading over some reports and trying to sort through his and Aang’s personal mail. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” He yelled, shooting to his feet and turning to stare at Aang, scattering papers all over the floor. “Absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span>- oh, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>asshole</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” He exclaimed when he saw Aang, who was splayed across the bed, laughing helplessly. “Look what you did to my papers you- you- you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dick</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” But Zuko was starting to laugh a little, too, and when he took a proper look at the bed, which was covered in lychee nuts, and the floor around it, which was scattered with their shells, he began to laugh outright. “You’re a menace, Avatar Aang, and if I didn’t like you so much I’d have to banish you for such disrespectful behaviour.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’ll think of a fitting punishment,” Aang teased, and Zuko picked up a letter and threw it at him forcefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Behave yourself. I have piles of work to do today and I want to work with Druk again this afternoon.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can help! I know how to train… uh… Sky Bison?” Aang trailed off, then shrugged, “It can’t be too much different, can it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, do Sky Bison get distracted by their own tail, or a guard walking by, or a butterfly on a nearby bush every thirty seconds?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No-o, but… We’ll figure it out! You’ve been invited to be a guest of honour at the Ember Island Players production of ‘Love Amongst the Dragons’ this year, by the way.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko groaned, shaking his head, “Absolutely not.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll write that you have an important meeting with the avatar that day,” Aang said cheerfully, and Zuko grinned at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so, I trained Appa by leading him around with another airbender carrying a fruit pie, but still using his rein commands so he’d learn them as we went, and I figure we can train Druk the same way!” Aang said, walking over to where Druk and Zuko were waiting by the stables. Druk was a highly intelligent creature, and had quickly figured out that letting Zuko sit on his back meant he got to have platypus-bear steak for dinner, but Zuko was unsure about flying on a  dragon that he couldn’t direct. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds great, Aang, but I don’t think Druk likes fruit pie.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why I brought him this pork shoulder.” Aang said, wrinkling his nose and lifting a cloth bag that Zuko assumed contained the offending meat product.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, you’re going to lead him around with the meat and I’m going to guide him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly!” Aang grinned, flipping open his glider.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If this doesn’t work-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can blame me for any damage done for the rest of our lives.” Aang said, passing Zuko a piece of rope.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko took it carefully, and threaded it around Druk’s neck. The dragon didn’t seem bothered by this, which Zuko thought was a good sign. “Provided the rest of my life doesn’t end today,” he grumbled, and slid onto Druks back.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re in good hands, Mr Firelord, your fireyness, for I am an expert animal trainer!” Aang cried, and lifted off into the air. Druk watched him for a few moments, and Aang did a loop around himself to see what was taking them so long. Druk seemed to realize that the avatar was having a good time zooming around up there, and shot up into the sky. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spirits, shiiiii-” Zuko stopped himself from shouting the curse just in time, and waved cheerfully to a few of his guards that had stopped to stare up at him. “As you were!” He called, and pulled Druk’s reins hard to the left, following Aang. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See? Isn’t this great?” Aang laughed, and did another loop</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve flown before, Aang,” Zuko replied, but privately he thought that this was so much better than flying on Appa. He loved the bison dearly, but Druk was faster, more powerful, and Zuko could see the entire countryside spread out beneath the dragons narrow, scaled back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have I ever taken you to the town where Master Piandao lives?” Aang shouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Zuko called back, pulling Druks reins lightly. The dragon was quickly learning Zuko’s commands, and Zuko wondered if he’d even need the string after this. He hoped that he wouldn’t- being able to guide the dragon with just light taps and commands would be ideal; it felt wrong to tie a rope around the neck of such a wild, powerful creature. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay! That’s where we’re going! There’s an amazing waterfall there, you’re going to love it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The waterfall was incredible, especially from the air. Zuko spotted the glittering creek first, cutting over the lush green hillsides in a thin ribbon of silver, before widening and spilling into the canyon. The rolling hills beneath them seemed to dance and sway as the long, emerald green grass blew gently in the wind. Water thundered over the cliff's edge, and Zuko guided Druk down into the canyon after Aang. Druk was just as entranced by the white cascade of water and Zuko was, and dipped close enough to run a claw beneath it, spraying Zuko with freezing water and knocking himself slightly off balance. Zuko whooped as Druk dove down towards the pool at the base of the falls before guiding the dragon downstream a little ways, and landing in the grass. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s doing great!” Aang cried as he dove down and settled beside them, tossing the forgotten pork shoulder at Druk, who gulped it down happily and continued splashing in the creek, chasing silver fish through the clear, cold water. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s incredible. Thanks for helping me with him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t do anything!” Aang laughed, patting Druks head gently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This place is amazing,” Zuko said, looking around at the sharply slanting cliffs around them. The valley floor was less than half a league wide, and covered in wildflowers. The creek bubbled cheerfully through it, and the cliffs on either side were covered in ferns and small shrubs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve never actually been down here,” Aang admitted, “Just up above- and only really briefly. Sokka brought Katara and I here a few years ago when we came to visit Piandao.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I’m glad we came today,” Zuko said, sitting down next to Druk and splashing some water on the dragon's nose. Druk huffed in annoyance, batting a wave of water at Zuko with his wing. Zuko yelped, and almost retaliated, but Aang giggled behind him, so he chose to simply roll his eyes and smile slightly. He wasn’t about to start a splashing war- especially since he knew who’s side the waterbender would take. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should go back,” Aang said sadly, after about half an hour of peacefully sitting on the grass. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can come again,” Zuko promised, allowing the avatar to pull him to his feet. They raced home, and Zuko gave Druk an extra steak as a reward for winning.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You can't do footnotes in here either which means my little detail explanations are in the end notes in a bunch. So.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Four Months Later</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>Aang was wandering the hallways of the palace. He’d finished his meditation for the day, but Zuko was nowhere to be found. He’d checked his usual ‘bad-day’ haunts- the duck pond, the roof, Druks stable, and a few choice corners of the gardens that he wasn’t sure Zuko was even aware he knew about. He was almost ready to give up when he noticed the doors to the throne room.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zuko?” Aang called, waving at the guards to open the door. “Thank you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko almost never sat in his throne room. He said it felt strange, too formal, and too personality-less to really belong to him. But he was sitting here today, with his top-knot unadorned and his head in his hands. He didn’t say anything as Aang entered, simply lifted his head and leaned back in his chair with a sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“You ok?” Aang asked, walking over to the dais, but unsure if he was allowed to go up.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Not really. I’m glad you’re here though. The last two years I’ve been alone,” Zuko admitted, looking out the window. Even without his crown, he still looked so regal, sitting there, that Aang felt somewhat intimidated. When they met, Zuko had been somewhat clumsy and awkward, but the years had smoothed away those edges, and there was a violent grace about him now, one that Aang noticed even more acutely when Zuko was in ceremonial clothing, or heading a war meeting, or- it seemed- sitting in his throne. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“I’m glad I could be here, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry- I know it’s a long trip from the Air Temple for just three days.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not bad,” Aang said gently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko sighed again, opening his arms and beckoning Aang to him. Aang stepped tentatively onto the dais and into Zuko’s embrace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I allowed to be up here?” he asked as Zuko pulled him onto his lap and buried his head in Aang's shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, the Fire Sages would probably faint if they saw you, but whatever.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you’re not letting yourself wallow in guilt,” Aang said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not! I just… miss her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I miss her, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you do it, Aang?” Zuko mumbled, “You lost everyone you knew and loved- how did you keep going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you keep going after you thought you lost your mother?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was different. I don’t think I ever really believed she was dead. I was right, I mean, but as a child it didn’t seem real to me, and by the time I might have been old enough to believe that she was truly gone I knew for certain she wasn’t…” Zuko shook his head, “And then we found her, so I never really had to mourn, y’know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on.” Aang said, remembering something. He got up and rushed out of the room and over to the kitchens, briefly explaining what he was doing to the cooks before hurrying away to find his ingredients. Once he’d assembled the drinks, he returned to the throne room, satisfying Zuko’s guards by taking a sip from both bowls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will literally bend poison from his system if I have to- even though that’s a super gross process!” Aang insisted. He handed Zuko a steaming bowl, and the Firelord looked at it warily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a tea- sort of. We used to make it on cold days at the Air Temple. It’s called Po Cha- butter tea</span>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Butter?” Zuko wrinkled his nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Try it. It’s not sweet, but I’ve been playing around with adding spices to it lately to make it more palatable to you sea-level folk, so this version has some orange blossom and cloves.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Zuko took a tentative sip, and Aang smiled as his expression relaxed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Traditionally, we top it up after every sip, so you never finish the cup,” Aang remembered, pouring more tea into Zuko’s bowl. “I would have this on cold mornings, or before an important day. It’s revitalizing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is,” Zuko agreed, smiling gently at Aang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s ok to be sad.” Aang climbed carefully back into the firebenders lap, gently stroking the back of his neck, “It’s ok to need to be sad, and it’s ok to scream or cry, if you need to. It’s just me.” </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“I know. Thank you for the tea, Aang. I… I  love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang rested his chin on Zuko’s head, watching the shadows shifting over the cream coloured walls like white fire.  </span>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One Year Earlier</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Zuko jumped when the door to the conference room opened after the meeting. “Sokka! I’m so glad you made it. I know it’s probably been a hard week.” </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“It’s been… Not great,” Sokka admitted, stepping into the room and collapsing into a chair. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Can I get you anything?” Zuko asked gently. Sokka shook himself. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“No, no. I’m fine. How are you doing?” </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Zuko was about to brush the question off, about to say that everything was fine, but the words caught in his throat, “I’m not great.” </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Let's go for a walk.” Sokka stood, and the two men solemnly left the room, wandering out to the turtleduck pond and settling on a bench. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“How do you do it?” Zuko asked, watching the turtleducks swimming around happily. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“How do you keep it together after losing your mother, your girlfriend, and your wife all by the age of 20?”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“I… I don’t know,” Sokka laughed sadly, “I guess… I keep making jokes, I laugh a lot, I smile all the time. I try to pretend that it doesn’t hurt anymore even though it burns like- like- when you spill hot oil on yourself, only all the time. I distract myself with work and worrying about Katara and Toph and you and Aang. I paint stupid paintings so I can see you all smile, I make carvings to give as gifts, I never think about it, and when I have to think about it, I do it over a stiff drink or five.” </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Zuko looked at Sokka out of the corner of his eye, horrified to see that his closest, strongest friend had thin lines of tears running down his cheeks. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“I’m sorry, Sokka- I had no idea-”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“I know. I’m glad. I don’t want to be sad. I’m the one that has to keep it together- I always have been. I have to keep everyone laughing and distracted and busy. I’m not like the rest of you. I can’t restore balance, I can’t heal. I’m not exceptionally talented, and I’m not born from royalty, chosen by dragons, master of lightning,” Sokka said ruefully.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“The first time I bent lightning was that day,” Zuko admitted. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“But you can do it, now,” Sokka pointed out. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“I don’t like to. It… it feels like a betrayal almost, after what Azula did to, well, all of us.” </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“But you’re not Azula.” Sokka placed a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“No. But when I saw Suki- I was more like Azula than I’ve ever been, I think. I just wanted to watch them all crumble. I wanted to watch them in pain. And I was calm. That was the scariest part. I was so calm, and cold. I just-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Calculated.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well. I know I’m not supposed to say this, but I’m glad you killed them,” Sokka said, somewhat savagely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not supposed to say so either, but so am I,” Zuko said bitterly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I was there. I wish I could have helped,” Sokka said, taking a bit of bread from his pocket and tossing it into the water for the turtleducks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never would have survived losing both of you in one day,” Zuko replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know, I don’t think you really do survive loss like that. Part of you lives in everyone you love, and once they’re gone, a little bit of you dies. The best parts, maybe. The parts that you give to them, the parts that they see in you,” Sokka sat up, turning to Zuko suddenly, “You know how I deal? I </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I pretend that I’m fine but some days I drink from sundown to sunup and I think about all the things I could have done to prevent it, and I scream, and I cry, and sometimes I go away for days and say I’m on a diplomatic trip or something. But I just find a corner of some forest somewhere and I throw my boomerang at trees until I’m so tired I can’t lift it anymore and the forest is too scarred for me to ever go back again,” he was truly crying by the time he finished his monologue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko wrapped his arms around his friend, trying to keep his own tears at bay. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then I come here. And I find you, or Toph, or both. And I just… Let you distract me until I’m some semblance of ok again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko held onto his friend, and he held this revelation close to him, used it, wore it out in his own grief. He remembered it fifty years later, when he finally understood what Sokka was feeling for the first time. He held onto it for the rest of his life. In some ways, it saved him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Present Day, Three Months Later</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <span>The Western Air Temple was more alive than Zuko had ever seen it when he arrived with Druk a few months after Aang’s restoration project had begun. The vines had been cleared away from the carvings, the murals and frescoes were being tackled by artists carefully balanced on scaffolding, their colours vibrant once again. He watched from the air as a spire seemingly knit itself back onto the rock, and looked around for the team of earth benders that would surely be lifting it. He flew Druk closer, and saw Toph balanced carefully on Appa, face damp with sweat as she held the entire weight of the temple with her tiny hands. Aang was nearby, flying around the base of the thing on his glider and carefully attaching it back to the underside of the cliff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit, Toph! That looks heavy!” Zuko called, impressed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t distract me, Sparky. I may be the greatest earthbender of all time but Twinkle Toes isn’t very quick about reattaching these things.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! I’m doing my best!” Aang called indignantly. “Just one more spot, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah over by the- yeah that’s it!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok, good! Let it go!” Aang called, and Toph carefully pulled her hands away. The wooden framing of the temple creaked, but it held, and Toph whooped, collapsing onto Appa’s back in exhaustion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m shocked to see you outside of the palace, Lord Sparky,” she panted, and Zuko shrugged. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I needed a break, and I knew you guys were too busy to get away. I sent a hawk to Sokka but he’s up to his eyeballs in preparation for Hakoda’s retirement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, you’d rather hang out with Sokka than us?” Aang teased, floating over to pat Druk on the nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not! You guys are my favourites,” Zuko assured him, and Toph snorted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’d way rather hang out with Sokka but I guess I’m stuck with you jerks,” she joked, and Aang threw a peanut at her from the snack compartment in his glider. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Zuko, I’ll give you the tour.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Appa and I are going to find food. We’re tired out from </span>
  <em>
    <span>literally</span>
  </em>
  <span> holding the weight of this place on our shoulders,” Toph grumbled, tugging on Appa’s reins with her foot. The sky bison grumbled in agreement, and they flew off in the direction of one of the nearby buildings. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang led Zuko and Druk to the central platform where Zuko had officially joined their group so long ago, landing on the smooth granite gracefully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow.” Zuko looked around at the glittering fountain, now in perfect working order, and the stunning colours of the repainted mural. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a lot more colourful in its proper decoration, huh?” Aang grinned, grabbing Zuko’s bag and leading him up a narrow stairway and into the heart of the temple. Zuko followed him wonderingly through the winding halls, stopping to admire the way the late afternoon light splashed over ancient statues and newly restored paintings. Aang stopped at an unobtrusive door, pulling Zuko’s bag out of his hand and leading him inside. There was a simple bed covered in light linen sheets, a traditional woven tapestry on the wall, and a simple wooden closet. A small square of soft wool sat under the narrow rectangular window, and Aang threw Zuko’s bag down on the bed. Zuko realized this must be Aang’s room. He’d seen the monks' chambers in the Southern Air Temple only once, and they had been just as simple as these, with the exception of a colourful blanket adorning the bed and a few more modest pieces of furniture.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It might be a little cramped- I can help you set up a bed in another room if you want,” Aang said apologetically, turning to look at the bed, which was significantly smaller than the one in Zuko’s chambers at the palace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’ll be perfect.” Zuko wrapped his arms around Aang’s waist and rested his chin on the airbender’s shoulders. “Now, I was promised a tour… or does the tour end here?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang laughed, “Toph would never forgive us. Come on, I’ll show you the echo chamber.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They ate dinner surrounded by the ruckus of the restoration team in the long dining hall, their plates resting on long, low wooden tables covered in food from all the nations, seated on rough wooden chairs covered in colourful fabric. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you can imagine it a little differently,” Aang said, looking around at the colourful prayer flags strung from the ceiling and the red, brown and green clothes of the people seated around them, “This room would have been full of women, years ago. They would have been entirely clothed in orange and yellow, and they would have long hair- most of them. They would have their foreheads shaved a little to display their arrows, and they would have eaten in total silence, sharing food from each other's plates.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You must miss it,” Zuko said, trying to picture the scene.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So much,” Aang admitted, and Toph kicked Zuko gently under the table, prompting him to change the subject. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So will you support the gender segregation of the acolytes, when they arrive?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Spirits, no! The Air Nomads were inclusive of all kinds of relationships, but I’ll definitely be taking a page out of the Water Tribes books on gender segregation. I know they’re somewhat misogynist, but at least they have a space for non-gender conforming and two-spirit or transgendered individuals. The Air Nation didn’t.” Aang slurped his soup enthusiastically, and Zuko nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Besides, the survival of the Air Nation kind of rides on children being raised into this lifestyle, and despite the non-monogamous, community driven child-rearing that people practiced when I was a kid, the fact remains that the air acolytes will be coming from all nations and will probably want to raise their children themselves rather than surrendering them to the whims of the community as a whole,” Aang added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you ever want to go back to that… uh… non-monogamous whatever you just said?” Toph asked, biting a large chunk out of her rice cake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang grinned, “Non-monogamous, community driven child rearing? I’m not sure… </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> liked being raised that way. I actually don’t know who my father was- my mother was with another woman for most of my childhood. At least- I was raised by two women for the majority of my time here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were born </span>
  <em>
    <span>here</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Zuko asked, incredulous. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” Aang said cheerfully. “I lived here until I was six, and then my mothers sent me to the Southern temple to begin my training, where I was taken in by Monk Gyatso…” Aang stared thoughtfully out the window for a moment, “You know, to be completely honest, I’m not entirely sure which one was my biological mother. I never asked. It wasn’t important, at the time. I guess it still isn’t.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko turned this information over in his mind, trying to imagine not knowing any of his family lineage. He couldn't. The history of the Fire Nation royal family had been too firmly ingrained into his upbringing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toph let out a low whistle. “That’s kind of crazy, Twinkle Toes, but also pretty cool.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was just... normal,” Aang shrugged, finishing his soup. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok, well, I’m going to go read over some more military-related wolf-bat shit before I turn in. I’m exhausted.” Toph said, yawning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry- reading?” Zuko asked, confused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I didn’t tell you? I found a guy in the Northern Water tribe who’s created a writing system for the blind. It’s pretty sick. I’ve been learning it for a few months and I’m working with the Mechanist to figure out how to make it easy to translate for you seeing people with some kind of machine, but right now I just have someone who has learned to write things out for me. It’s really simple- they use a thick cardstock and a metal stencil and just press little raised dots into the paper in different patterns- I’ll show you tomorrow,” Toph explained, giving them both a sharp punch on the shoulder before weaving her way gracefully through the throng of people and out the door.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So cool, right?” Aang said, grinning. “So, did you bring a good book? Because I have some more plans to go over with the head of architecture before I head to bed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did, actually,” Zuko smiled, “I’ll see you in a bit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Night, Zuko,” Aang replied, grabbing a pile of papers off the bench beside him and walking off towards the central square. Zuko finished his meal and wandered in the general direction of their room, before realizing he had no idea how to get there. Eventually, he figured it out -not before stumbling on a few rooms that attracted his attention first, including a lovely communal steam bath that Iroh would have been extremely excited about. He was curled on the bed in Aang’s simple cell, well into his book, when the avatar returned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Aang said, dropping his staff down and throwing Momo an apricot before stripping off his sash and shirt and climbing onto the bed beside Zuko. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Zuko responded, letting one hand drop around Aang’s shoulders as the airbender curled into his chest. “Just let me finish my page, then you can tell me how it went with the architect.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was great.” Aang yawned. Zuko finished his page and tucked a marker into the book before setting it down on the floor beside the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tired?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So tired. And we have another couple spires to attach tomorrow. It shouldn’t take too long… I’ll be all yours after lunch.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’d better sleep then, so you aren’t too slow for Toph when you’re putting this place back together tomorrow,” Zuko suggested, reaching up to take down his topknot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me, please?” Aang pleaded, removing Zuko’s hands from his own hair and gently pulling the pins out of the knot. Zuko had left his crown at home, as well as his ceremonial collar. He was thinking it might be time to do away with the thing once and for all. The armour he wore when traveling was much more comfortable and practical. He sighed, leaning back into Aang’s touch as the monk combed out his hair with his fingers. Already wearing his sleep clothes, and surrounded by the scent of clean linen and Aang, Zuko easily drifted off to sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been a long time since Aang had been woken by a nightmare- at least four months, and never in Zuko’s bed. The firebender’s presence calmed him, made him feel safe. Tonight though, he woke gasping for air, his elbow firmly lodged in the soft space between Zuko’s ribs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oof,” Zuko groaned, blearily peeling his eyes open and looking up at Aang, who had struggled into a seated position at the head of the bed. “You ok?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nightmare.” Aang wrapped his hands around his knees, shivering, and was immediately pulled under Zuko’s arm, tucked tightly against his warm flank. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Been awhile.” Zuko rested his other hand on Aang’s chest, breathing deeply against the shaking avatar, “Want to talk about it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- not really,” Aang sighed. It had been a bad one. Monk Gyatso, his mothers, all the air nomads he’d once known, asking why he’d left them. Asking how he could have abandoned them. Katara, screaming fearfully as he’d flown over the South Pole, black snow falling around her. Suki, Yue and Sokka, standing together in the sky, all crying. Toph, dressed in Azula’s armour, breaking the temple back off the mountain and watching it crumble with grim satisfaction. Zuko himself, kneeling before Aang, who was in the avatar state. Aang had watched himself from Zuko’s perspective as he slowly morphed into a dark figure with glowing red eyes and Ozai’s profile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just… Don’t let me leave, ok?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, Aang?” Zuko asked softly, and Aang crawled into his lap, wrapping his arms around Zuko’s neck and letting the walls made by Zuko’s arms at his back and his legs on either side Aang’s body close tightly around him.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t let me leave.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you scared you’re going to run away? Because only you can stop you from doing that, Aang, and I know you’re strong enough and brave enough to face whatever it is that’s troubling you,” Zuko replied, resting his chin on Aang’s head. Aang stifled a sob, wishing he could crawl into the firebenders chest and hide himself behind his ribcage, next to the steady beating of his heart. He shifted, trying to get closer, and Zuko tightened his hold. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aang, love, please tell me what’s going on,” Zuko pleaded, kissing the top of Aang’s head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t want to... lose you. Or anyone else.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko sighed, “You’re not afraid of </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> leaving, are you.” It wasn’t a question, but Aang shook his head anyway. “I’m not leaving. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aang nodded, and Zuko shifted carefully until he was laying down again, holding Aang against his chest and pulling the blankets over them. Aang fell asleep listening to Zuko’s heartbeat, the warmth of the older man’s body surrounding him more comfortably than any blanket.      </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Po-Cha is a tea made in Tibet, whose Buddhist monks and monasteries are where the inspiration for the Air Nation is from. It is made with a black tea base and Yak milk, and is considered heavily caffeinated for foreigners, hence Aang’s “sea-level folk” comment. I’m not entirely clear on the traditional way to drink it, but from what I understand, the bowl would be refilled after every sip as Aang describes; the addition of orange blossom and cloves is super non-traditional though. </p><p>The Air Nation is based on Buddhist monasteries/monks, mainly from Tibet, but the Western Air Temple was actually inspired by Bhutanese mountain temples. Sadly, I’ve never been to one of these temples, but from the photos I’ve seen, they are very colourful and lively inside, despite being very simply furnished. However, there aren’t many photos available online, so I’ve done my best to describe using references from the photos I’ve found and shots from both ALTA and LOK. I’m not an expert on Buddhist culture either, so this may not be the most accurate depiction of what Air Nomad life would have looked like if we’re sticking to strict structure of Tibetan/Bhutanese Buddhism, but it’s a damn fanfiction of a kids TV show so... fight me if you really feel like it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> <em> Present Day, Summers End </em></p><p> </p><p>    Zuko arrived at the house in Ba Sing Se at the same time as Sokka, landing with Druk in front of the gate just as Fuku wheeled around the corner. </p><p>“Sokka!” He exclaimed, leaping off the dragon and patting the new Water Tribe Chief heartily on the back. </p><p>“How’s world leadership treating you?” He asked cheerfully as they made their way into the house, and Sokka stared at him, concerned. </p><p>“You’re...uh... chipper?” Sokka observed, then grinned, “It’s great! Hard, but really good. And my dad is letting me taint his retirement with constant questions so that’s helpful.”</p><p>“Poor Hakoda,” Zuko snorted, and they walked into the house together, chatting easily. There was a flurry of activity once they were inside: saying hello to Toph, who had felt them coming and was ready with a painfully affectionate punch on the other side of the door, and then Sokka had to cry over Ty Lee and Mai’s baby, and say hello to Momo and Aang. Zuko was busy chatting with Mai about updates to the prison system, but was interrupted by Ty Lee after a few moments, who handed him the baby and cried, “No work talk!”</p><p>“YeahZuko, no work talk in the vacation house,” Aang called teasingly, walking over to give Zuko a kiss, and grin down at the baby in his arms. </p><p>“She’s beautiful,” Zuko told Ty Lee and Mai, who both grinned at him, and looked lovingly at each other. </p><p>“Hey, Suki,” Aang offered the baby his pinkie finger, and the little girl grabbed it tightly in her tiny fist. </p><p>“Welcome to the gang, bud,” said Sokka from over Zuko’s shoulder, and Zuko smiled around at his friends before relinquishing the baby to Aang. </p><p>“Sokka, can I borrow you for a moment?” Zuko asked quietly, gesturing Sokka out onto the back deck. </p><p>“Always! What’s up, my bro?” </p><p>“Well I didn’t want to ask Aang in case I made it too obvious, but I was wondering what you know about… uh… marriage laws within the four nations. I mean, the Fire Nation is sort of all I know about, and it’s not like same-sex marriage is uncommon or particularly frowned upon, but it’s not exactly celebrated, and the ceremonial fire nation weddings are sort of catered to heterosexual couples, so it’s a bit of a battle to try and figure out how to adapt things.” </p><p>“Planning on getting married soon then?” Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. </p><p>“Spirits no- it’s only been a year… But as crazy as it sounds I sort of want to have a plan, y’know? I’m not planning on appropriating anything specific from the other nations, that would be totally inappropriate, but it might be nice to use them as guidance- I sound crazy. We’re not getting married any time soon.” Zuko assured him, “And you’re the plans guy, so… Point is, once we announce our relationship, the pressure to get married will really pile up and well... People want to know that we’ll have heirs.” </p><p>“<em> Well </em>, that was an Aang-worthy ramble! You’re clearly spending too much time together already!” Sokka laughed, and Zuko rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you know more than I do about Air Nomad culture, but from what I’ve heard from Aang they don’t traditionally get married,” Sokka said, suddenly serious. </p><p>Zuko sighed, “No, they consider ceremonially binding yourself to another to be an ‘earthly tie’ that prohibits cosmic enlightenment. Aang has told me that lovers will sometimes exchange tokens that signal that they are monogamous to each other for life, but that’s not common either.”</p><p>“Which is why you’re freaking out and feeling like you need to figure this out years in advance,” Sokka deduced, and Zuko nodded somewhat miserably. </p><p>“I don’t know if I should bother asking- even eventually?”</p><p>“Look, that’s for you to figure out, but if being married is important to you, Aang will want to. As for Water Tribe customs, you might have some luck with our ceremonial traditions: the Water Tribe really doesn’t have any gender specific customs in our ceremonies, and a lot of people are polyamourous and/or gender non-conforming- especially up north.” </p><p>“I…” Zuko stared at Sokka, slightly overwhelmed. </p><p>Sokka sighed and shook his head, “They have more than one romantic partner and are able to all be married together, or have relationships outside their marriages- don’t look so shocked! We're an easy going people!” </p><p>“I’m not shocked, I just don’t think Aang and I want to marry you, if that’s what you’re getting at, Sokka,” Zuko teased, and Sokka shrieked with laughter. </p><p>“Sorry Zuko, but Aang’s not my type,” Sokka elbowed Zuko in the ribs and they both leaned, chuckling, onto the railing. </p><p>“Hey, dorks! I need help with dinner since Katara isn’t here yet!” Toph called, and Sokka shrugged, beginning to make his way back to the house. </p><p>“Well, Sparky here has chefs so I guess that’s me.”</p><p>“You just need to cut vegetables, Sokka, don’t get too excited.” Toph rolled her eyes. “Oh, and Sparky? Don’t have an Earth Kingdom marriage. They’re non-gender specific, and nobody would blink an eyeball at a couple of guys getting married, but they’re Super. Boring.” </p><p>“Noted,” Zuko said slowly, following Toph and Sokka into the house. He sat down on the sofa to chat with Mai and Ty Lee and almost immediately had a lapful of Aang and baby Suki. </p><p>“Aang, how's the restoration of the Western Air Temple going?” Ty Lee asked, grinning at the avatar, who had draped one of Zuko’s arms around his shoulders, tucked Suki under the other, and was now resting his legs across the Firelord's lap.</p><p>“It’s nearly done! Once this temple is restored, they’ll be enough space for Air Acolytes from all around the world to live together there, and I can start construction on the new temple in Republic City!”  </p><p>“That’s amazing! You must be so excited!” Ty Lee exclaimed enthusiastically. </p><p>“Suki’s really taking to you, Zuko. When are you going to have one of your own?” Mai smirked, and Zuko shook his head. </p><p>“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, Mai. The avatar is still young, and we’ve only been together for a year!”</p><p>“Hey! You’re young too!” Aang protested, laughing. “It’s sort of too soon for us to have really thought about it, beyond the logistics of having a surrogate- but we have plenty of time to be parents later in life and not a lot of time for everything else it seems.”</p><p>“You two are awfully busy!” Ty Lee nodded. “We’re having another- we want to adopt an orphaned boy from the Earth Kingdom, but we never expected how crazy our lives would get with just one! You’ll definitely want to make sure you’re ready...”</p><p>“Zuko,” Mai said quietly under Ty Lee and Aang's animated chatter, “when- if- you two are ready for kids, let us know.”</p><p>Zuko looked at her, puzzled, until he realized what she was getting at. “You- you want to be our surrogate?”</p><p>“I’m happy to do it, if you want me to.” Mai leaned forwards in her seat, taking Suki gently from Zuko and settling the sleeping baby on her lap. “And Ty Lee would, too. Unless you have someone else in mind.”</p><p>“No- no, Mai, this is… wow. Thank you so much. I wouldn’t want anyone else,” Zuko told her, fighting the lump that was forming in his throat. </p><p>Mai just nodded, and kissed all three of them on the cheeks before taking Suki to bed. </p><p>“Hi, guys!” A cheerful voice called from the door, and Zuko turned around to see Katara standing in the entryway, arms full of her luggage and a giant smile on her face. </p><p>“Kat!” Ty Lee leapt up from the couch and ran to take some of Katara’s things, giving the other woman an enormous hug. </p><p>“Hi, everyone,” another voice said, and a tall man with floppy brown hair and tawny skin stepped through the door, leaning heavily on a cane. </p><p>“Ohhhhh! So you’re Katara’s new boyfriend!” Ty Lee squealed, giving the man a hug as well. </p><p>“Hey, asshole.” Toph acknowledged the man with a slight nod, then returned to the kitchen. </p><p>“Katara? You have a boyfriend? And I didn’t <em> know </em> ?” Sokka exclaimed, rushing into the room. He stopped short, staring at the man, and then frowned, “I <em> do </em> know you.”</p><p>“Hey, Sokka. We’re not dating, so everyone, cool it,” the man looked over to where Zuko and Aang were peeling themselves off the couch, and Zuko felt a flash of recognition. Katara followed Ty Lee into the other room to say hello to Suki, but Sokka pinned the man in the doorway with a heavy stare. </p><p>“We’re not dating. Katara’s just been helping me with-”</p><p>“Jet.” Aang’s face settled into a glare, and Zuko looked back and forth between the avatar and the man in the door. </p><p>“Hey, Aang. Glad you’re alive and stuff,” the man smirked, lifting a thin pipe to his mouth. Zuko stared, still not quite sure how he knew this man. </p><p>“Likewise,” Aang said, but his tone was cold, and Zuko could practically feel the withering stare he was giving Jet, although he was standing behind it.</p><p>“Jet!” He suddenly realized, spitting out the word and trying not to shrink under Jet’s gaze as it fell heavily onto him -this was a disaster. </p><p>“Li?”</p><p>“Lord Zuko, actually.”</p><p>Jet barked out a short laugh, which turned into a longer chuckle, which grew until he was almost sobbing with laughter, “Of <em> fucking </em> course! I’ve been pretty out of the loop over the last few years, but I should have recognized the new Firelord sooner! Of course it’s <em> you </em>- spirits-” and he peeled into another round of laughter. </p><p>“What happened to you, Jet? We thought you were dead!” Aang said, warily gesturing Jet over to the sofa. </p><p>Jet slowly made his way over, steps uneven and weight resting heavily on the cane, “I was pretty fucked up, but Longshot and Smellerbee saved me, somehow. I was paralysed from the waist down, and my mind was all tied up in knots from the Dai Li… We spent the rest of the war in prison, and after it was over, I spent about twelve months recovering enough to travel. Then, I slowly made my way to the Northern Water tribe to find a healer. It took me a long time to make enough money to afford passage there on a boat, so I worked for next to nothing for about four years after the war and arrived at the North Pole just over four months ago. Katara helped get me standing again.” </p><p>“Ok- wait- remind me how you know each-other?” Zuko exclaimed, and Aang shook his head, sitting down next to Zuko. </p><p>“You don’t remember the play?”</p><p>“I feel like I’ve selectively repressed that particular memory,” Zuko grimaced.</p><p>Aang laughed, “Well Sokka’s the story guy, so he’d better explain.”</p><p>“This is a… long one.” Sokka sighed, and Toph poked her head around the corner. </p><p>“I wanna hear too!” She said, walking out of the kitchen and settling on the floor beside Sokka’s chair. Just then, Katara, Mai and Ty Lee emerged from the bedroom, chatting quietly.</p><p>“Oh! Is Sokka telling us something?” Ty Lee grinned, and made her way to sit down beside Jet. </p><p>“I’m Ty Lee, by the way, and this is my wife, Mai!”</p><p>“Jet,” Jet replied carefully, shaking both their hands. </p><p>“Ready?” Sokka asked his audience playfully.</p><p>“Regale us, Sokka,” Toph said sarcastically, and was rewarded with a cuff on the shoulder. </p><p>Sokka sighed, twined his fingers together, and began his tale, “Well, we met Jet because of instincts, really...”</p><p>“Sokka’s instincts!” Aang and Katara chorused, and Zuko was glad to see the waterbender reluctantly returning Aang's grin.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Zuko loved listening to Sokka tell stories; he had the ability to weave a scene the way a spider weaves a web- pulling threads together from here and there until they finally came together into one lovely image. This story, though, Zuko knew he would have to add his own puzzle piece to. He found himself relaxing under the spell of Sokka’s voice, the ebb and flow of the story pulling him into another time, another place. He melted back into the couch, mindlessly draping an arm over Aang's shoulders and pulling him closer as he listened. He felt an icy prickle on the back of his neck and found two pairs of eyes on him: Katara’s -cold, and bitter- and Jets, which were a mix of wary confusion, and something like understanding. He turned his attention back to Sokka and allowed his voice to sweep over him like an ocean wave, pulling him back into the story. </p><p>“...and then Jet told us to leave. He said he’d be ok, and Toph… Toph knew he was lying, but we also knew that if we stayed, we’d all be captured. So we left, and we never saw him again.”</p><p>“I’m sorry we left you, Jet,” Aang said, quietly, shifting under Zuko’s arm so he could tuck his legs up onto the couch. </p><p>“We should have stayed.” Sokka agreed. </p><p>“No, you shouldn’t. We spent the rest of the war in an Earth Kingdom prison. If I hadn’t been so badly hurt… I don’t know how we survived but somehow we did, and you guys won the war, and that’s what matters,” Jet said, eyes still on Zuko. </p><p>“I want to hear Sparky’s side of the story.” </p><p>“Yeah, I want to hear Li- Lord Zuko’s story, too,” Jet smirked, and Zuko tugged Aang closer, shaking his head slightly at the man across from him. </p><p>“We met on the ferry to Ba Sing Se.”</p><p>“The Firelord fell in love with me,” Jet smirked, and Zuko rolled his eyes. </p><p>“We became <em> friends </em>. My uncle and I were hungry, and tired, and Jet approached me with an idea to,” Zuko paused, a slight smile playing around his lips, “how did he word it- ‘liberate’ some food for the refugees on the boat.”</p><p>“We spent one glorious night together-” Jet added suggestively, and Zuko shot him a glance.  </p><p>“A few, actually. Along with all the other smelly, hungry, dirty refugees on the boat. Including my uncle and his friends.”</p><p>“Sounds like a <em> good </em> time,” Toph giggled, and Sokka mimed vomiting. </p><p>“That’s not a mental image I wanted to have,” Mai shook her head. </p><p>“Once we’d arrived in the city, Jet asked me to join his gang, and I refused. I knew I couldn’t let anyone get close with us, and I didn’t trust him. Turns out I was right not to-”</p><p>“Hey, I was right, too!” Jet laughed. </p><p>“Jet figured out we were Fire Nation because of a stupid stunt uncle Iroh pulled with his tea. Typical.” Zuko allowed himself to smile at the memory; although it had been a difficult time, he’d never before seen Iroh as happy as he had been making a life for them in Ba Sing Se. </p><p>“He started coming around the tea shop a lot, still trying to make friends- or get us to slip up, I guess. Then one day he came in and attacked me at work.”</p><p>“It was making me crazy that nobody would believe me. Also, I wanted to see if I could beat you in a fight,” Jet grinned, and Zuko allowed his gaze to soften on the man. </p><p>“I’m sorry about what happened to you. Once you’re better, we can talk about a re-match.”  </p><p>    “Whoa. That’s so crazy that we all know each other- that we’re all here, together, now,” Aang mused. </p><p>“Well, story-time circle has been fun, but dinner isn't going to finish itself- Katara?” Toph shook herself, and led Katara back to the kitchen. </p><p>“I’ll help!” Aang announced, ducking out from under Zuko’s arm and following. </p><p>Jet waited a few minutes before addressing Zuko, “L- Zuko- Firelord-”</p><p>“Just Zuko is fine. Any friend of Katara’s is a friend of mine,” Zuko gritted out, and Jet raised one sardonic brow at him. Spirits, Zuko had forgotten about those expressive eyebrows. The sharp line of that jaw, the flintiness of those grey eyes. What a mess.</p><p>“Ok… would you care to introduce me to this dragon that Katara tells me you’ve adopted?”</p><p>“Sure?” Zuko said, standing up slowly and leading Jet out the back door into the garden. </p><p>“So, you and the avatar, huh?” Jet grinned, lifting his pipe to his mouth. </p><p>“Yeah, for about a year. It’s not public knowledge, though, if you don’t mind.” </p><p>“Of course,” Jet blew a waft of smoke into the sky, looking at it almost wistfully, “I’m assuming he doesn’t know.” </p><p>“I’ve not had cause to tell him. He’s never asked, I mean. I suppose I should, now that I’ve remembered you’ve met.”</p><p>“I should maybe mention it to Katara.” </p><p>“She’ll be furious,” Zuko shook his head, “You were together?”</p><p>“No. We both wanted to be, I think, but I was… not in a good place when we knew each other, and I assumed her and Aang-” </p><p>“Yeah so did everyone,” Zuko sighed, whistling for Druk, “But it never happened. I think Aang… I think he needed to grow up a bit more before he could figure out what he really wanted.” He watched as Jet wondrously extended his hand to the dragon, who huffed warily. </p><p>“He’s a friend, Druk.” </p><p>The dragon allowed Jet to gently stroke his snout, and Zuko stood quietly watching them for a moment. </p><p>“She’s angry, still, isn’t she.”</p><p>“She hasn’t said much. She doesn't think you’re right for each other, and she’s mad that you hid it from her, but she hasn’t said much else. Personally, I’m grateful. It would be hard to compete with the avatar.” </p><p>     “I’ll leave it up to you on whether or not you say anything to her, then,” Zuko told Jet, “But let’s maybe not mention it until this week is over.” </p><p>“As you wish, Firelord,” Jet smirked.</p><p>“Don’t mock me,” Zuko rolled his eyes, and the two men made their way back to the house. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Six Years Earlier </em>
</p><p> </p><p>    The taste of vegetables long past their prime was something Zuko was becoming intimately familiar with, but it was never less disgusting. </p><p>    “I’m tired of living like this!” he shouted, spitting the gruel over the side of the boat. </p><p>    “Aren’t we all,” said a voice like a snake behind him. Zuko turned away from the endless blue water to see a boy walking towards him. His breath caught momentarily, and he felt a flush rising to his cheeks. The boy’s lips were pouting around a single piece of straw, and he had floppy brown hair falling around the sharp lines of his face. He had an upturned nose, and laugh lines around his eyes that probably gave him a playful and friendly appearance when he smiled, but he looked quite serious, now. </p><p>“My name’s Jet,” the boy said, face splitting into a grin. Zuko had been wrong about the friendly look- the boy’s mouth curved cruelly, and his sharply arched eyebrows gave his face a sardonic, mad sort of look. </p><p>“And these are my freedom fighters, Smellerbee and Longshot.” </p><p>Zuko barely looked at the other two, unable to tear his eyes away from Jet. He was tall, lanky, and that, combined with the cruel edge to his features, shouldn’t have made him attractive, but somehow he was. </p><p>Zuko forced himself to turn away, but uttered a low, “Hello.” </p><p>Jet explained the situation to Zuko, and when he asked if Zuko wanted to join in his mission to steal some food from the captain, Zuko wasn’t sure if it was the hunger, the boredom, or the desire to learn more about the other boy that caused him to tell them he would help. </p><p>Working with Jet was easy, natural. Zuko hadn’t met any other non-bender that moved with the power and ferocity that Jet did- except maybe Mai. But Mai didn’t have the desperate edge to her that Jet did, the willingness to go the extra mile. Jet seemed to gamble on every step he took, every duck and turn, and he seemed to know that he would win that gamble every time. Zuko was entranced, and found himself grinning at the other boy frequently over the course of the little mission. The resourcefulness and ingenuity of this rag-tag group of refugees impressed Zuko, and he had to try very hard not to admit to his uncle that he liked them. Jet settled down to eat with Zuko and Iroh that evening, falling easily into conversation with Iroh.</p><p>“I’ve done some things in my past that I’m not proud of. But that’s why I’m going to Ba Sing Se; for a new beginning,” he glanced at Zuko, who looked down at his tea. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>The next morning, Zuko was standing alone on the bow of the ship, looking out through the mist at the grey ocean, and the grey sky. He didn’t hear Jet come up behind him until the other boy spoke in his low, languid voice. </p><p>“Y’know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were.”</p><p>Zuko stiffened, trying to keep surprise and anger from his expression. He didn’t turn, and Jet walked to stand close beside him. </p><p>“You’re an outcast, like me. And us outcasts have to stick together, we have to watch each other's backs. Because no one else will.” Jet glanced at Zuko, and the prince resisted the urge to either grab the boy and fling him over the side of the boat, or tackle him to the deck and take and take and take as much as Jet would willingly give him.</p><p>“I’ve realized lately that being on your own isn’t always the best path,” he said, leaning against the railing so he was facing Jet and his grey-green eyes and his floppy mahogany hair instead of the grey grey grey of the ocean. Jet leaned forward, pulling the straw from his mouth. </p><p>“You have your uncle,” he said, pressing his palm into the railing of the deck, blocking Zuko in on one side. </p><p>“I do.” </p><p>“You need friends, too, though.”</p><p>“I need <em> something </em> ,” Zuko conceded, letting his eyes drop to those ridiculous pouting lips. Oral fixation combined with being a <em> fucking </em> mouth breather, he thought. This boy was ruining him. </p><p>Jet smirked, dropping his other hand onto the railing so he was blocking Zuko in entirely. </p><p>“Li. Can I kiss you?”</p><p>“Yes, please,” Zuko breathed, just shy of begging. He’d never begged for anything in his life- well. Once. But nothing like this. Jet’s mouth was insistent, greedy, but the line of his jaw was softer than it looked under Zuko’s hands. His nose was still impossibly sloped, and he chuckled against Zuko’s lips as Zuko brushed his fingers over one arched eyebrow. This, too, was easy. Jet kissed like he moved- gambling on everything that Zuko wanted from him and winning every time. He slid his tongue between Zuko’s lips and Zuko melted into the railing, thinking something incoherent about ‘who was really doing the taking here after all’. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>When they landed in Ba Sing Se, Jet pulled Zuko away from Iroh and his cold tea and around a corner. He wrapped his hands around Zuko’s waist, pressing him against the cold stone wall and attaching his mouth to Zuko’s throat. </p><p>“Did your uncle ask questions about that bruise on your neck?” he chuckled when he noticed a fading mark from that morning. </p><p>“He did.”</p><p>“What did you tell him?” Jet laughed again, biting at the soft spot under Zuko's ear. </p><p>“That a certain ‘food liberating’ traveller may have proved to be more than just a good new friend,” Zuko replied, groaning quietly, “He doesn’t mind much what I do when it comes to… this stuff.” </p><p>Jet pulled away, resting his hands on Zuko’s chest and grinning dangerously. </p><p>“You and I have a much better chance of making it in the city if we stick together. Wanna join the Freedom Fighters?”</p><p>“Thanks,” Zuko said, eyes shifting to where Iroh was sitting, Jet followed his gaze, but waited patiently for him to finish, “but I don’t think you’d want me in your gang.” Zuko ran his thumb over Jet’s bottom lip and tried to look apologetic, but firm. </p><p>“C’mon, we made a great team looting that captain's food! Think of all the good we could do for these refugees!” Jet moved his hands to Zuko’s biceps and pressed him back against the wall, “Besides, for totally selfish reasons, I’d like to keep you nearby. So we can watch each other's backs.”</p><p>“So you can watch my ass, you mean?” Zuko joked, allowing Jet to press his thigh between Zuko's. “Sorry, Jet, but I can’t.” </p><p>“Cause of your uncle?”</p><p>“Yeah. Something like that,” Zuko muttered, pressing his lips against Jet’s again. After a few minutes, Jet pulled away properly. </p><p>“Have it your way, then. But find me in the city sometime, if you want.” And he walked around the corner. Zuko followed, almost bumping into the taller boy as he stood frozen, staring at Iroh. Iroh, and his <em> hot </em> cup of tea. Zuko hurried past Jet, who didn’t seem to notice him, and once the other boy had turned away, he angrily knocked the cup out of his uncle's hands. </p><p> </p><p>  Zuko was angry. Angry at himself for believing he could make a friend here, angry at his uncle for ruining that chance. He stalked through the market, and glared at Iroh when he hurried to catch up, carrying a yellow moonblossom shrub. </p><p>“I just want our new place to look nice, in case someone brings home his new ‘friend’, Jet. Or someone else,” Iroh grinned, elbowing Zuko in the ribs. </p><p>“That’s too risky, now that he’s seen your heated tea stunt. This city is a prison. I don’t want to make a life here,” Zuko replied. </p><p>“Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it, or not.”</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>The next afternoon, working in the tea shop, Zuko was shocked to see Jet walk through the doors and settle down in the corner of the store. </p><p>“What can I get you?” he asked. </p><p>“It’s more about what <em> I </em> can give <em> you </em>,” Jet flashed that impudent smirk at him, and Zuko frowned in confusion. Jet pressed a piece of paper into his hand with an address written on it. </p><p>“Come by, once you’re done work. I’ll make you dinner.”</p><p>“I thought-” Zuko trailed off, about to say he thought Jet hated him now that he knew he was a firebender. That would be admitting to it, though, and Zuko knew better. </p><p>“I’m still interested, Li. There wasn’t nearly enough privacy on that boat for me to be done with you, yet. And I’ll take a cup of jasmine. I hear it's the best in the house,” Jet said, running a finger along Zuko’s forearm. </p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Iroh was so excited at the prospect of Zuko starting to put down roots in the city that he practically shoved his nephew out the door that night. </p><p>“Don’t worry about curfew, Zuko! I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon at the shop!”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, don’t get too overprotective.” Zuko rolled his eyes and started down the street, looking for the address on the little slip of paper. Jet met him out front of his apartment building, smelling like roast duck and trouble. </p><p>“Smellerbee and Longshot have this one,” he said as they walked down the hall, tapping on one of the doors lightly. “And this is me.” He opened the door across the hall and ushered Zuko inside. “It’s nothing fancy, but I’ll get some more furniture and soon it’ll feel like home.”</p><p>“Our place is pretty sparse, too,” Zuko said, looking around the single room apartment. There was a door that he assumed led to a bathroom, a small kitchenette, a bed, and a little table with two chairs. They ate dinner, and Jet did most of the talking. He told Zuko about his fort up in the trees, and the dozens of other freedom fighters that had all split up and gone their separate ways. He wouldn’t elaborate on why, just said he’d made a mistake. After they’d eaten, Jet washed the dishes, and Zuko dried. Jet tried to get him to talk about his childhood- about his scar- but he kept things vague. </p><p>“It was supposed to teach me respect,” he said, staring down at the plate he was drying. He flinched as Jet’s callused fingers brushed over the rough skin. </p><p>“Sorry,” Jet said.</p><p>“Don’t be,” Zuko answered, putting the plate down and lifting Jet’s hand back to his face. Jet immediately took charge, pressing Zuko against the counter with one long leg between the prince's thighs, and holding his face firmly in his hands. </p><p> “I like you, Li, but I know you’re hiding something from me,” Jet said, swiping his tongue over Zuko’s bottom lip. “That’s ok, you don’t have to trust me with your past, yet, or ever. But I need to know that you trust me with now.” </p><p>Zuko wasn’t sure what he should say, so he simply nodded, and Jet grinned, crashing their lips together. </p><p>“I’ve never done this before. With anyone.” Zuko admitted a few minutes later, when Jet guided him to sit on the bed. </p><p>“We don’t have to,” Jet said, looking up at him. Zuko tangled his hands through the boy's hair, watching the long, golden column of his throat as it stretched to allow him to meet Zuko’s eyes.</p><p>“I want to.”</p><p>“Me too. You’re… you’re gorgeous, Li,” Jet said, pushing Zuko’s knees further apart and sliding off his undergarments. </p><p>“That’s just not true-” Zuko gasped, managing to hold back any further noise and tangling his fingers deeper into Jets hair. Jet seemed intent on making sure that Zuko knew he’d meant what he said, and the next day, Zuko felt sure that everyone could see the remnants of Jet’s lips staining his entire body deep crimson from the arches of his feet to the tips of his fingers and everywhere in between. They slept together four more times before Jet finally asked. </p><p>“Where are you <em> really </em> from, Li?” </p><p>Zuko stiffened, pulling his mouth away from Jet’s body. “Do you always ask such invasive questions in the middle of a blowjob?”</p><p>“Didn’t realize it was that invasive,” Jet replied teasingly, leaning back and exposing the brown expanse of his torso, lean muscle dotted with purple bruises, “you can tell me when you’re finished, then.”</p><p>“Maybe I don’t want to finish,” Zuko replied, smirking, “maybe you should ask me a little more nicely.”</p><p>“Li,” Jet groaned, and Zuko slapped his hands away. </p><p>“No touching. Ask nicely.” </p><p>“Li, c’mon. I’ll stop asking such ‘invasive questions’.”</p><p>Zuko didn’t move, simply gave Jet another wide grin. </p><p>“Li! Fuck! I’m gonna make you regret that.” Jet growled, threading his fingers through Zuko’s hair and dragging his mouth back to his skin. </p><p>When they were both sprawled out on Jet’s bed, he asked again. </p><p>“Li, where are you from?”</p><p>“Far away.”</p><p>“Like, Fire Nation far?” Jet asked sharply, rolling on his side to face Zuko. </p><p>“Why would I be <em> here </em> if I grew up in the Fire Nation?” Zuko asked, glaring. </p><p>“Because you’re running from something. Because you’re hiding,” Jet ran his thumb over Zuko’s scar, and Zuko shivered. “I don’t know. Are you a firebender, or not?” </p><p>“No.” Zuko said, rolling out of bed and starting to pull his clothes on. </p><p>“C’mon, Li, don’t be like that.”</p><p>“I can’t believe you would accuse me of something like that- I can’t do this anymore. Stay away from me,” Zuko said, the words harsh and gritty in his throat, like broken glass.</p><p>“I <em> saw </em> your uncle firebend his tea, Li!” Jet sat up angrily.</p><p>“Then why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Zuko spat angrily, “Why didn’t you report us to the police if you’re so sure we’re Fire Nation- which, by the way, we’re not!”</p><p>“Because I <em> like </em> you, Li. Against my better judgement, I think we make a good team. I like being your friend. And you’re gorgeous, and strong, and tough, and I like talking to you,” Jet tugged on Zuko’s sleeve, grinning that dangerous grin of his, “and I like fucking you, and being fucked by you, and I like the way you taste-”</p><p>“Stop it!” Zuko wrenched his arm away, “Stay away from me.” And he rushed out of the apartment and back to his own, flipping himself gracefully through the window to avoid waking Iroh. </p><p>The next day, he watched the Dai Li drag Jet away in handcuffs. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Present Day</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I really did like you,” Jet offered over a cup of tea at Iroh's shop at the end of the week. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I liked you, too,” Zuko said, nudging him with an elbow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m happy with Katara, though. She’s good for me. And Aang is good for you. You were never this happy with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was in a bad place, then,” Zuko admitted, “but you’re right, Aang is good for me. And Katara is an amazing girl.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry about what happened-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> sorry. I should have just admitted it. I should have trusted you,” Zuko muttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. You trusted me just the right amount. We were never going to work- I needed to go through what I went through to figure out what my priorities were. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn’t kill my parents. But I… I might have hurt you if I knew. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> hurt you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you guys talking about?” Aang asked brightly, sitting down at the table with them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ba Sing Se,” Zuko said at the same time Jet answered,</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When we were refugees.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s so crazy that you guys were friends when you both lived here,” Aang said, wrapping an arm around Zuko’s shoulders. “I’m glad you got to reconnect!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too,” Zuko said, smiling at Jet. Jet’s shoulders dropped, and he offered both of them a grin. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Evening light was spilling through the new cream coloured curtains in Zuko and Aang’s attic bedroom on Ember Island, softening the edges of everything it touched. There was a stick of incense on the new table by the window, and the sounds of birds chirping in the newly tidy garden floated into the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Aang? I have to tell you something,” Zuko said, looking up from his book at Aang, who was hunched over a pile of paperwork. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s up?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Put that shit away. You’ve been at it all day. It’ll still be there tomorrow morning,” Zuko insisted, patting the bed beside him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s the problem,” Aang groaned, but he stood up, stretched, and pulled back the white bug netting around their bed so he could climb over and curl up next to Zuko. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know how I said Jet and I were friends, years ago?” Zuko asked once the monk was settled, steeling himself for a potential avatar-sized argument regarding trust and truthfulness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, we were kinda… more than just friends.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang stiffened, sitting up to look at Zuko in confusion, “You were dating Jet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No! No, not like that… we were just… sleeping together. Only for a little while! But, yeah, I just thought you should know.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” Aang settled back down, his face closing off pensively. Zuko waited, not sure if he should say anything more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you love him?” Aang asked, after a few minutes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spirits, no! I didn’t know him nearly well enough, and I don’t think I would have even if I did spend more time with him!” Zuko insisted, chuckling slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok,” Aang said easily, “Thanks for telling me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not mad that I waited?” Zuko asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I can see why you did. It would have been a lot to take in considering we both thought he was dead.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Zuko laughed, and Aang scooted up and pressed a kiss under his chin, resting his head on Zuko’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Thanks, Aang.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Huh? You’re welcome, I guess.” Aang’s hand drifted onto Zuko’s chest, tracing the contours in his muscle and the patterns the shadows from the palm trees outside were making across his skin. Zuko closed his eyes, letting Aang’s calming presence drip over him, sticky sweet, like honey melting into all the cracked parts of him and making him whole and lovely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So... will you sleep with me, now? So that I get to reaffirm my possession?” Aang murmured against Zuko’s throat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your possession, huh?” Zuko replied, raising an eyebrow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well.” Aang shrugged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought I was the possessive one.” Zuko grabbed at Aang’s strong leg, pulling it over his hips so the avatar was seated above him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not being possessive. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> know what’s mine, I just want to double check with you,” Aang smirked, and Zuko resisted the urge to laugh, determined to gain the upper hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh? So I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>yours</span>
  </em>
  <span>, then?” It was a challenge, a test, and the slight shudder of Aang's body as he said the words confirmed that Zuko was going to win this one. “I’m yours, Aang,” He repeated, softly this time, and Aang melted into him, allowing himself to be rolled onto his back easily. He reached eagerly for Zuko's mouth, and Zuko dropped a hand onto his chest, just under his collarbones, “Patience, Avatar. Let’s take our time and make sure I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> know who I belong to,” Zuko chuckled, and Aang rolled his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t understand why you call me that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll figure it out one day. You’re smart.” Zuko was busy pulling Aang’s robes off his body and scattering them onto the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Aang laughed, brushing his fingers through the firebenders' long hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You talk so much,” Zuko said, but there was no malice in his voice, and Aang didn’t bother retorting, focusing instead on the feeling of the little bruises Zuko was sucking onto his torso. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stay still, Aang,” Zuko told the squirming avatar, who took a deep breath and stilled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko!” Aang whined, “Please just get on with it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ask me again, nicely,” Zuko smirked, sitting back and removing his hands from Aang’s hips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, Zuko,” Aang groaned, and Zuko smirked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As you wish, Avatar.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was pitch dark -save for a thin strip of floor lit by the moon- by the time Zuko was satisfied. Aang was sprawled across their bed, muttering something about sadistic bedpartners and how he was never asking nicely for anything again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t bet on it,” Zuko joked, handing Aang a shirt from the hamper to wipe off with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko just snorted, allowing Aang to crawl up his body and settle across his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gross, sticky!” Aang mumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And who’s fault is that?” Zuko teased gently, running his fingers down Aang's spine. “I cleaned up as best I could, oh, master waterbender. If you want to wash it off, you’ll have to do it yourself.”   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too tired for bending.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sleep then.” Zuko said, pulling the sheets over them and putting out the candles with a lazy flick of the wrist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang was quiet for a few minutes, but then pondered aloud, “It’s a power thing, isn’t it?”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Zuko was lazily running a hand over the monk's toned thigh, but he stopped when Aang spoke. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Calling me ‘Avatar’,” Aang explained, attempting to imitate Zuko’s voice as he said the word, “You say it for me, to annoy me, because you want to see if I’ll do anything about it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Partially,” Zuko admitted, kissing the top of Aang's head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you say it for you, too. I think you get off on it,” Aang giggled, and Zuko could almost hear the saucy grin in his voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“On knowing that the most powerful bender -Spirits, the most powerful </span>
  <em>
    <span>avatar</span>
  </em>
  <span>- in history let’s me do pretty much whatever I want to him?” Zuko chuckled, “Maybe just a little.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> do whatever you want. I trust you.” Aang mumbled, “And I'm not the most powerful avatar in history! Kyoshi literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>created</span>
  </em>
  <span> an island!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not having this conversation again, Aang. You mastered airbending at twelve, and learned the other three elements pretty thoroughly by the time you were </span>
  <em>
    <span>thirteen</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The firebending you were doing </span>
  <em>
    <span>then</span>
  </em>
  <span> was about as good as a lot of benders get- let alone your waterbending skills. And you’ve only improved since then. So shut up. Most powerful avatar.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever,” Aang grumbled, nuzzling into Zuko’s chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko sighed, returning his hand to the airbenders leg, “I love you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Love you, too. Wanna sleep now though.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko woke up at six the next morning to the smell of salt air and the sound of seagulls. He was glad they had made a tradition of this getaway, too; a week to themselves on Ember Island was well needed, and well deserved. They’d hardly seen each other for more than five or six days at a time since the week when they had flown Druk to the waterfall. Zuko stretched, and made his way down to the beach for a quick lap around the bay. When he arrived back, Aang was still meditating, although his breathing was lighter, and Zuko knew he would be coming out of the meditation soon. Zuko himself didn’t often find time to meditate, and he could never manage to do it for hours the way Aang did, but he settled himself down behind the avatar anyways, lining their backs up- close, but not quite touching. He tried to sychronize his breath with Aangs, allowing himself to think of nothing, and drifting into a peaceful subconscious. When his eyes fluttered open about half an hour later, Aang’s back was pressed against his own, and he could feel their breathing in tandem, both coming back into the physical world together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning,” Aang said gently, leaning his head back to rest on Zuko’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi,” Zuko smiled, tilting his head and pressing a kiss to the airbenders ear- which was the only part of him he could properly reach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You went swimming,” Aang noticed, twisting so that his legs were on either side of Zuko’s torso, and his chest was pressed against the Firelord's back. Zuko remembered one morning the last time they had been in this house, almost a year ago. They’d been sitting as they were now on the beach, half asleep and sun drunk; Aang had pressed his hand to Zuko’s scar and whispered, </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s like it went in your chest and came out at my back. Two halves of the same whole.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At the time, Zuko had been too surprised and overcome by the implications of the statement to reply. Today, he lifted Aang’s hand to his chest himself, pressing it against the scar. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You told me we were two halves of the same whole the last time we were here,” he murmured, and Aang nuzzled into the crook of his neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Mhm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I think you were right. As cheesy and ridiculous as it sounds, I think… I think our souls were supposed to fit together, somehow.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Of course they were,” Aang said simply, unwrapping himself from Zuko and pulling the firebender to his feet. Zuko turned to face the taller man, wrapping his hands around his slim waist and pressing a kiss to his lips. Aang responded greedily, snaking his own arms around Zuko’s neck and twining his fingers through his hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Breakfast?” Aang pleaded when they finally pulled apart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You’re cooking,” Zuko grinned, “race you downstairs!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Three Days Later</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>It wasn’t the first time Zuko had awoken to the cool, sharp edge of a knife pressed to his throat. It wasn’t even the second- or the third. But it was the first time he was scared for someone else's life more than his own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang?” he hissed, groggily, then, when he got no reply, “Aang!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shush, Lord Zuko. Screaming for the avatar… that’s almost less dignified than calling for your mommy,” mocked the hooded figure holding the knife in a raspy, low voice.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you do to him?” Zuko demanded, calmly now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why, I wasn’t aware he was here, Firelord.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right- he’s not. Of course he’s not.” Zuko scoffed, making to sit up. Sharp pain radiated through his hands and he hissed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t move, Firelord, or I’ll make sure these hands never bend again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko flinched, “So now that you’ve caught me, what do you plan to do with me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kill you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you haven’t done so yet because?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s a lot of people out there that will pay a lot of money to witness your execution, Firelord. They want to watch you burn,” his would-be assailant answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah. I see.” Zuko replied, “Well, I hope you intend to allow me to put a shirt on, first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not an idiot, Lord Zuko,” the hooded figure grabbed a fistful of Zuko’s hair and wrenched the firebender out of bed, his head colliding violently with the floor and his hands being wrenched behind his back. Zuko tried to kick out, but the same searing pain he had felt earlier in his hands shot through his leg. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck did you do to me?” he growled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m familiar with pressure points, Firelord,” his attacker replied cheerfully, forcing him to his knees and then yanking him to his feet, returning the knife to his throat. “Now, we’re going to leave nice and slow, and then we’re going to go back to the Fire Nation, and then you are going to go to whatever comes next for scum like you, and Firelord Ozai is going to take back his rightful place on the throne.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That sounds nice for him, but I don’t like that plan,” Zuko grumbled, desperately wondering what had happened to Aang and how he was going to get himself out of this. Blood dripped down his forehead and into his eyelashes, stinging his eye. They’d made it halfway across the beach before they saw another person. Another hooded figure, this one wearing black gloves. They grabbed Zuko’s face and spat in it. Zuko wrinkled his nose and spat back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not very dignified behaviour for the Firelord,” this figure growled. She lifted her hand and placed a well aimed punch directly into Zuko’s right floating rib. He heard a small crack and felt the knife bite into his skin and he lurched forwards with the impact. He shifted slightly, trying to feel if his rib was broken. He didn’t think it was, probably just bruised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t beat him up too much! It’ll be a pain if we have to work at keeping him alive long enough to get home.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll do my best.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another knife pressed into Zuko’s shoulder, and he gasped as the blade cut a thin line down his spine.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too cowardly to show me your faces now that you have me completely at your mercy?” Zuko taunted, teeth gritted against the pain. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman behind him cackled, “As if, Firelord, besides, my face would mean nothing to you other than it will soon be the last one you ever see.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good line. Did you rehearse it before today?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up! Spirits, do we not have a gag?” Hissed the hooded figure still holding the knife to his throat. The blade between his shoulders dug in, urging him to his feet, and Zuko held back a yelp as pain flared down his spine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think so,” said the woman, letting the knife fall away from his back and stepping to the side of him. Zuko watched, thinking quickly. He let out a low whistle, and was rewarded with a slap across the face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your dragon isn’t coming. We took care of him already.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rage simmered through Zuko, boiling in his blood and washing over him in an unpleasant calm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you do to my dragon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t a question, and Zuko wasn’t actually planning on waiting for an answer. He lowered his head, letting a breath of flames lick up the hand holding the knife to his throat. Pain ripped through his back as he extended his arms to keep both captors away from him, lighting coursing through his fingertips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko didn’t practice bending lightning often, and as a result he could usually only get one good shot in with it before feeling totally hollowed out, but that had been enough to get him out of any previous dilemmas so far. He noticed the net and ropes flying towards him at the last second, and ducked out of the way, blasting lighting from both fingertips and wincing as sand caught in the open wound on his back. One foot was caught in the net, and Zuko was briefly reminded of his sister, chained to the grate in the courtyard by her wrists and screaming. Something snapped inside him, and a wall of fire flew easily out from his palms as he shook his foot free. He breathed deeply and evenly, and watched for his attackers. The woman came at him from behind; Zuko just barely grabbed hold of her wrist and slammed her into the sand in front of him, falling to his knee from the effort as his other attacker launched themselves at his left side. Zuko waited until the last moment, holding a whitehot ball of flame in his hand and lifted his hand to connect the fire with the hooded figure's stomach as they threw themselves on him with their full weight. The scream of pain was deafening in his ear, and the blade they had been carrying dug until his pectoral muscle before falling into the sand. The woman had scrambled to her feet; she was screaming, too, but the roar of the fire Zuko was maintaining around them and the singing of the pain all over his body was drowning her out. Suddenly, the fire around Zuko died out, and before he could register what was happening, a whirlwind of sand was surrounding the woman, lifting her high off the ground before dropping almost all the way back down again. She shrieked as she fell through the air, but was caught by a wave of water that solidified into ice as soon as she was properly submerged, only her nose and eyes exposed to the air. Zuko stumbled forwards towards her, but his vision was blurry, so he dropped to his knees, regarding the sand in front of him instead, counting to ten over and over and- </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko- spirits- Zuko, are you ok? Fuck, I’m so sorry- I couldn’t sleep so Appa and I went out to fly around the island- shit! Zuko, are you ok? Talk to me, please! Zuko!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m ok.” Zuko slowly raised his head, feeling a sharp pulling on his jaw and realizing that his chin had been cut at some point. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spirits, fuck,” Aang gasped, pressing his hands to Zuko’s shoulders and kissing his forehead and cheeks as though checking to make sure he was still all there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang, I’m ok.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit, Zuko.” Aang groaned, resting his head on Zuko’s shoulder. Zuko was tired, suddenly. Tired, hollow feeling, and in pain. Sure, he’d been through far worse, but not since he was sixteen years old- six years ago. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we just go back up to the house, please, Aang, I need to check on Druk.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang shook himself, and stood, “Druk is ok. They just chained his back foot down. He’d almost melted the thing off by the time I got back. I told him to wait there but he’s fine. You, on the other hand- I’d like to get you to a healer-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Relief washed over Zuko like cool water, and he exhaled a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Thank Spirits! Nothing’s broken. I just need to be cleaned off and bandaged up. I think you can handle it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about stitches-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There's some first aid stuff in the kitchen I think. Aang- I just want to go back to the house,” Zuko mumbled, and Aang draped an arm around him, hauling him to his feet. He lifted a hand, and the block of ice holding the woman drifted off the ground and righted itself like a bizarre statue. Aang clenched his teeth and effortfully directed the block towards the house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can use the chains they brought for you to keep her under control until we fly back tomorrow, but what about the other one?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They won’t be a problem,” Zuko said grimly, and Aang blanched. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zuko-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Listen, I did what I had to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang frowned, but said nothing, simply helped Zuko back up to the house, where he dragged himself out to comfort Druk while Aang secured his prisoner. They sat together in the kitchen while Aang applied balms, oils and tinctures to Zuko’s skin until he was nearly satisfied and Zuko was too exhausted to sit up any longer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m never letting you out of my sight again,” Aang grumbled, hauling Zuko up the stairs and into bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmmhm I’m not terribly opposed to that idea, but it’s pretty unrealistic,” Zuko murmured, allowing Aang to snuggle into the curve of his body and press fervent kisses to his knuckles.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hush.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko pushed his calf between both of Aangs and buried his head in the avatars shoulders, too tired to reply. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko sent a hawk to the Fire Nation the next morning, explaining that he had been at the house on Ember Island for a vacation when he was attacked, and had managed to capture one of his attackers for questioning. He made no mention of Aang. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to be… not here when the balloon arrives to take her back to the Fire Nation. The prison guards shouldn’t know we were here together- they’ll talk, and we’ll have all kinds of rumours flying around,” Zuko told Aang, settling down on the couch with a cup of tea and frowning at the mildly painful pulling in his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not leaving you here by yourself!” Aang cried, shaking his head adamantly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang. Be reasonable,” Zuko sighed.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh so you’re ready to announce our relationship to the entire Fire Nation and everything else that entails?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang huffed, glaring at Zuko from the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought so.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually,” Aang announced, walking over to the couch, forcibly removing Zuko’s tea from his hand, stepping between the Firelord’s knees, and glaring down at him, “I am.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Zuko stared up at Aang, whose face was set and determined. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you,” Aang insisted, as if it were that simple. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you, too, but-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me talk.” Aang sat down next to Zuko on the couch and pulled the firebenders hands to him, pressing them against his sternum. “I love you, so much. And I knew from the age of like, I don’t know, sixteen? That I’d probably spend the rest of my life with you. I don’t know how, I just knew. You felt like- like family, from the moment you joined the group. Not like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Zuko, I’m trying to have a serious conversation here, don’t be gross!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko obediently wiped the skeptical grimace from his face, feeling Aang’s steady heartbeat under his warm skin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” Aang shrugged, as if it was easy to say, as if it didn’t take every ounce of courage in Zuko’s body to admit something even half as intimate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I… me too, but Aang, the pressure from my people -and the whole world!- is going to be… well. Intense.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Aang scoffed, “I had to master three elements in one year and pretty much single handedly win a hundred year long war when I was twelve years old, I think I can handle some invasive questions from reporters.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t have to, though.” Zuko looked down at his lap, and Aang let go of his hands to pull his fingers through Zuko’s loose black hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I will at some point. And I need to be with you right now. You have to let me, please,” he implored. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re being unusually stubborn. I’m not sure I like it,” Zuko looked up, smirking at Aang. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is important to me!” Aang insisted, shuffling forward so he was sitting in Zuko’s lap. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang. They’re going to ask such- ridiculous things of us. When are we getting married? What kind of ceremony are we having? When are we having kids? </span>
  <em>
    <span>How</span>
  </em>
  <span> are we having kids? What happens if war breaks out?” Zuko groaned, leaning back against the couch. Aang followed him, tucking his head into the crook of Zuko’s neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And we’ll just have to say ‘soon’, ‘we’re not sure’, ‘not so soon’, ‘we have a surrogate selected for our first child already’, and ‘we’re prepared to face the challenges that will come with being married political leaders that may have different perspectives on certain issues’.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko stiffened, gaping down at Aang, who had closed his eyes and was peacefully breathing across Zuko’s chest. “Sorry- we have a surrogate picked out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mai offered, didn’t she? Ty Lee did, too, but she’s not super interested in being pregnant again unless we </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> want her to be our surrogate.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Zuko replied slowly, running his fingers down the blue lines on Aang’s back. Aang sighed happily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want Mai to be it, too. At least for the first one- I don’t know how many kids you want, but I think three is a good number.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Three?” Zuko exclaimed, “Let’s start with one, ok? I do not want to think about being a dad to three fucking mini-Aangs!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, like being a dad to three mini-Zukos will be any easier!” Aang scoffed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> having six kids.”   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Obviously!” Aang laughed, and Zuko kissed his forehead, trying to silently express the overwhelming wave of love he was feeling for the airbender. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And- Aang, married? Are you sure?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” Aang said simply, then seemed to reconsider. He sat up, wide eyed, and stared at Zuko, “If you want to- I mean- I just thought- I don’t really know how it all works in the Fire Nation or anywhere, really, because marriage isn’t really a thing in my culture- but it is in yours and it’s going to be important to your people and to you; I mean, obviously if you don’t want to or you’re still not sure if this is what you want or whatever I’m not, like, demanding that you marry me- and I know this probably isn’t the right way to ask but I-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang. Shut up a second, please!” Zuko said, gently. He pressed a kiss to Aang’s nose and shifted the avatar off his lap. “I’ll be right back.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang shifted nervously on the couch, wondering where Zuko had gone and if he had overstepped, but soon, Zuko returned, holding his hands behind his back. A light breeze ruffled his hair, and Aang smiled at how young he looked, grinning gently, with the sunshine painting him golden and new. He tried to ignore how the cuts on the Firelord's chin and chest made his own chest tighten and anger began to simmer beneath his skin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So traditionally, we would set a date and my family would visit your family in their home and we would probably have a meal together and exchange gifts, and then at the end I’d give you a ring and that would symbolize our engagement. But since that is virtually impossible in this case and we’re pretty non-traditional anyways- added to the fact that you just sprang this on me out of the blue- I’m thinking we can forgo that step.” Zuko walked over to Aang and pulled a simple silver band out from behind his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was mine. From when I was younger. It was a medal, then, to signify my status as a member of the royal family, but I had it melted down and reshaped a few years ago. It’s too small for me but you have thin fingers…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang simply stared up at Zuko, eyebrows knitted together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyways. It would be too strange to give you a ring that belonged to my father or my grandfather or something, and you kind of caught me unprepared, but...” Zuko started to sink to his knee, holding out the ring, but Aang stood up and caught him around the waist, forcing him to stand. He dexterously removed the ring from Zuko’s surprised fingers and, to the firebenders’ confusion, knelt down before him, holding it up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess this part probably shouldn’t be me, since you’re giving me the ring, but I don’t really understand how this works anyways. Firelord Zuko, I really- I love you, and I would,” Aang giggled slightly, and Zuko frowned down at him “I would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>honored</span>
  </em>
  <span>, if you would… uh… marry me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko laughed, taking the ring from Aang and pulling him to his feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will.” He grinned, and Aang moved to embrace him, but was stopped by a gentle hand pressing against his chest. “But, please just let me do this bit, Aang.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang blushed, looking down and catching Zuko’s hands in his own. “You said you’d never kneel for me again, once. And I- I don’t want you to.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zuko opened his mouth to speak and shut it again with a snap. “I hate to break it to you, Aang, but I have knelt for you for much less dignified occasions than a proposal since that declaration.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only once, actually.” Aang blushed deeper, and Zuko considered the statement. Aang was right, they were usually either laying in bed, or on some other (less appropriate) surface when they had sex. He couldn’t recall ever kneeling in front of Aang when the airbender was fully standing save for that first night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that- have you been keeping me from doing that on purpose?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe,” Aang mumbled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Spirits, Aang. I had no idea that… affected you so deeply,” Zuko murmured, pulling Aang’s hands to his mouth and kissing him carefully before slowly sinking back to a kneel. Aang looked uncomfortable, tried to pull him back to his feet, but Zuko stayed, stubbornly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aang. You’re my favourite political advisor, my most trusted spiritual advisor, the best animal trainer a dragon keeper could ask for, and the worst Tsungi hornist I have ever had the misfortune of knowing,” Zuko began, and Aang choked out a breathless laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have no sense of ceremony, which is why I’m proposing to you in the slightly musty living room of our vacation house at nine in the morning instead of on the rooftop of the palace at night while fireworks explode in the distance, or at a magnificent waterfall at sunset.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! It’s not my fault-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, yes, it is!” Zuko insisted, “And to be completely honest, you have pretty much been the main source of most of my problems since you were twelve years old. But somehow, you managed to convince me that I was worth something. That my soul is your soul, and my-” Zuko broke off, feeling awkward under Aang's smiling gaze. The avatar was lit up in strips from the sun shining through the slatted window, and he looked like the kind of deity that thousands of devotees would offer to split the sky open for. He didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be a deity for Zuko to offer to pull all the stars to the earth for him, Zuko thought, but couldn’t say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Aang prompted gently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re- incredible. I love you. And… I’d really love it if you let me whoop your ass at Pai Sho, and tell you that you’re kind of everything to me, for the rest of our lives.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang made a noise that was part sob, part indignance, and covered his mouth with his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna need that, Aang,” Zuko teased, reaching up and catching hold of the airbenders slim wrist. He slid the ring over Aang's finger and allowed the avatar to help him to his feet, threading his arms around Zuko’s waist as he did so.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you say you’re bad with words!” Aang mumbled tearfully into Zuko’s shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Zuko replied, “there’s so much more that-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Aang cut him off, pressing their mouths together urgently, sliding his tongue along Zuko’s bottom lip and pulling him closer. Zuko let himself melt into the taller man, breathing the scent of pine and salt air that whafted around Aang.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was ridiculous,” Aang said when they finally pulled away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. It was,” Zuko grinned, and wrapped a strong hand around the back of the younger man's neck, pulling him back for another long kiss.  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Twelve Years Later</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zuko felt the wind and smelled the scent of pines before he saw Aang. The avatar entered the throne room with his usual humble greeting to the guards, and walked up to the diais. Age had been kind to Aang, carving out his cheeks and broadening his shoulders gracefully, while Zuko still kept the slender figure of his teenage years, long hair prematurely plagued by stubborn strands of silver; he had worry lines starting on his forehead, though he was only in his mid-thirties. Aang had laugh lines. Aang knelt at the end of the carpet in front of Zuko gracefully, as was customary, and continued up the steps and into the Firelord’s embrace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How was the South Pole?” Zuko asked, and he could practically hear Aang’s eye roll. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great. I got to listen to Sokka and Katara bickering like children for over a month.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like old times,” Zuko joked, pulling away from Aang and taking him in for a moment. The airbenders lips were chapped and he had dark circles under his eyes. “How are the kids?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well Lin and the baby- Sue-Yin- weren’t there, they stayed with Toph in Republic city, but Kya- Spirits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s her father’s daughter?” Zuko smirked, and Aang nodded, rolling his eyes again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know we’re supposed to treasure our children and all that, but I was ready to throw the lot of them out into the snow by the end of the first week- Sokka included.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko snorted, “How is Toph?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s doing well- this time was a lot smoother than Lin’s birth, according to Katara.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate that she’s alone- Did you tell her to come here?” Zuko shook his head worriedly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sokka left a few days before I did to help her out, she’ll be fine.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The father isn’t around?” Zuko asked slowly, watching Aang’s face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Sokka</span>
  </em>
  <span> left a few days before I did to help her out,” Aang repeated meaningfully, and Zuko nodded, smiling. Aang brushed his fingers through the long hair that lay loose down Zuko’s back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you,” he admitted, and Zuko turned his head away, frowning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aang.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on, they’re stabling Appa, we’ll have at least a forty second warning before they come bursting in here. And you can </span>
  <em>
    <span>kiss</span>
  </em>
  <span> me in front of them!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aang, it’s been a few months, I’m concerned </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> won’t be able to stop at just kissing,” Zuko teased, but he took the avatar's face in his hands and pressed a kiss against his chapped lips anyways. After a few moments, the sound of thundering footsteps separated them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Incoming,” Aang grumbled, and the throne room doors burst open. Tenzin, age two, tumbled through, closely followed by Bumi, at a slightly more respectable pace, who hauled his brother to his feet and pulled him up the hall, stopping to bow respectfully before bounding up the diais and landing both boys in Zuko’s lap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Papa! We went penguin sledding! And Uncle Sokka showed us how to build a snow watchtower and he let us ride on Fuku </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> day! And Uncle Haru made us noodles like Grandpa!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grandpa Iroh learned to make those noodles from Uncle Haru’s dad, Bumi,” Zuko explained, but Bumi was too busy describing their trip to listen.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Kya was there and she totally kicked Izumi’s butt at training because Izumi was so cold and she had to wear three parkas! And dad let us hide our stewed sea prunes in our pockets at the Chief’s feast and we fed them to the penguins!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad did what at the Chiefs feast?” Zuko asked, playfully glancing at Aang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bumi! Dad told you not to tell!” Izumi scolded from the door, walking into the room and bowing gracefully before launching herself into Zuko’s arms as well. Aang laughed at the Firelord then, with a chattering little boy on each knee, his daughter under his arm, and his crown askew, Zuko looked more like the haggard father of three than the leader of a nation. Aang told him as much, and Zuko shook his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d better be grateful, Aang, somehow I’ve managed to do both- so far. Izumi, you must promise me that your teenage years won’t be as impossible as your fathers or I’m afraid the Fire Nation will have to govern itself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the difficult teenager out of the two of us?” Aang gasped indignantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do my best not to be as melodramatic as you were, papa,” Izumi said to Zuko, grinning smugly in a way that was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aang</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Zuko tugged her closer. Aang lifted Tenzin off Zuko’s knee, resting the little boy on his own hip, and leaned down to kiss Zuko’s cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> missed you,” he said softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zuko grabbed Aang’s left hand with his newly freed one and pressed his lips to the thin silver band around his ring finger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you all, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oogies!” yelled Izumi and Bumi, and Zuko groaned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You couldn’t have prevented further Sokka teachings?” Zuko groaned, leaning his head against Aang’s chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was impossible, I’m afraid,” Aang grimaced, reaching over and tugging Bumi’s hair before wrapping his arm around Zuko’s shoulders and focusing on the children relating their latest adventures to their papa.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t wait to grow old with you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts! (Also, should I write a Sokka/Zuko fic?)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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